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Senate Bill 99 |
Senate Author: Zaffirini et al. |
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Effective: 6-15-07 |
House Sponsor: Guillen |
Senate Bill 99 amends provisions of the Education Code, Government Code, Health and Safety Code, Local Government Code, Transportation Code, and Water Code relating to state-funded projects serving colonias. The bill affects state agencies that are required to report to the secretary of state on such projects, including the Office of Rural Community Affairs, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Texas Water Development Board, Department of State Health Services, and Texas Department of Transportation. The bill revises the definition of "colonias" to include 11 or more dwellings that are located in close proximity to each other in an area that may be described as a community or neighborhood and requires the agencies to require an applicant for funds to submit a colonia classification number from the secretary of state's office for each colonia that may be served by the project proposed in the application. The bill adds reporting requirements for additional entities, including the Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, institutions of higher education that receive funding from the state for colonias projects, and regional planning commissions. In compiling the report on the progress of state-funded projects serving colonias, the secretary of state is to receive assistance from the office of the attorney general and to submit the report each even-numbered year or in 2010 and every four years following that date, depending on whether funds are appropriated for preparing and submitting the report. The bill requires, rather than authorizes, the colonia initiatives coordinator in the secretary of state's office to appoint a colonia ombudsperson in certain counties.