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Senate Bill 503 |
Senate Author: Perry et al. |
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Effective: 5-22-15 |
House Sponsor: Rodriguez, Eddie |
Senate Bill 503 amends the Government Code to include the construction of infrastructure and other projects necessary to prevent the reduction or closing of a defense facility as a purpose for which a grant may be awarded by the Texas Military Preparedness Commission to certain eligible local governmental entities that may be affected by an anticipated, planned, announced, or implemented action of the U.S. Department of Defense to realign defense worker jobs or facilities. The bill authorizes a defense base development authority to use the proceeds from such a grant to purchase or lease equipment to train defense workers whose jobs have been threatened or lost as a result of such actions, authorizes grant proceeds to be used for the training of workers to support military installations or defense facilities, and increases from $2 million to $5 million an alternative cap amount for such a grant. Current law authorizes the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office to provide financial assistance loans for certain types of projects to defense communities affected by a base realignment process that occurs during 2005 or later. The bill changes that period to 1995 or later.