Bill Text: TX HB4749 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of economic development corporations created by certain rural municipalities to undertake infrastructure planning projects.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-04-18 - Left pending in committee [HB4749 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4749-Introduced.html
88R13777 ATP-D | ||
By: Lopez of Cameron | H.B. No. 4749 |
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relating to the authority of economic development corporations | ||
created by certain rural municipalities to undertake | ||
infrastructure planning projects. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 501, Local Government | ||
Code, is amended by adding Section 501.108 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 501.108. RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING PROJECTS. (a) | ||
This section applies only to a corporation authorized to be created | ||
by a municipality that during the 12-month period preceding the | ||
date of the undertaking of a project authorized by this section, has | ||
an average unemployment rate that is greater than the state average | ||
unemployment rate and: | ||
(1) has a population of less than 100,000; | ||
(2) is located wholly in a county designated as rural | ||
by the Texas Department of Agriculture; or | ||
(3) is part of a micropolitan statistical area with a | ||
population of less than 150,000 in which the municipalities are | ||
adjoined with regional water, sewer, drainage, and irrigation | ||
systems. | ||
(b) For a corporation to which this section applies, in | ||
this subtitle, "project" includes expenditures found by the board | ||
of directors to be required or suitable for the development and | ||
engineering of plans for infrastructure for the purpose of being | ||
ready to begin construction immediately after receiving a state or | ||
federal grant that may be spent for infrastructure, notwithstanding | ||
any limitation of expenditures under Section 501.103. The project | ||
may include interlocal agreements in cooperation with any regional | ||
or overlapping water, sewer, or drainage district or regional | ||
system. | ||
(c) An expenditure made under this section must prioritize: | ||
(1) the economic goals of the community; and | ||
(2) the mitigation of flood, storm, or other natural | ||
disaster incidents that have increased risks of damage to business, | ||
industrial, and affordable housing sites or zones, including by | ||
prioritizing projects for: | ||
(A) water, sewer, drainage, railroad, or road | ||
underground borings or crossing improvements to distressed | ||
business, industry, or affordable housing sites or zones where | ||
local revenues are unavailable; and | ||
(B) sewer and wastewater disposal facilities | ||
required or suitable for infrastructure necessary to promote or | ||
develop new, expanded business and industrial area enterprises or | ||
affordable housing sites or projects. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |