Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 3074 amends the Local Government Code to modify the allocation formula for financial assistance the state provides annually, through the governor's office, to Texas' 24 regional planning commissions or councils of government (COGs). The new formula deletes the $10,000 base grant, retains the $1,000 per dues-paying member county, and retains the 10 cents per capita for the population of dues-paying member counties and municipalities but adds a guarantee of a minimum $50,000 for each COG as long as total available assistance equals or exceeds the $2.5 million allocated in state fiscal year 2003. If available assistance is below the state fiscal year 2003 amount, proportional reductions will occur, whereas if appropriations exceed the amount generated by the allocation formula, proportional increases will occur. The bill eliminates detailed provisions relating to a comprehensive development planning process. In lieu of those, new provisions authorize a COG, within available funds and in accordance with rules of the governor's office, to use the state financial assistance to promote intergovernmental cooperation, function as a regional review agency, leverage resources to maximize federal and private funding, and assist local governments and state agencies toward specified statutory objectives.