BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1480 By: Patterson 02-28-95 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Under Section 201.152 of the Agriculture Code, a county may contribute funds to a soil and water conservation district for the district to use in matching all or part of funds received from the state for use in soil conservation and flood control programs. However, the language in this section has misled some counties and other political subdivisions such as cities, drainage districts, and water control and improvement districts, to believe that they are restricted from contributing funds to water conservation districts unless there are state funds available for matching their donations. A soil and water conservation district may not receive more than $3,200 per year from the state for administering its programs and may not always have adequate funding for matching donations. These misinterpretations have kept some political subdivisions from contributing available funding to soil conservation and flood control programs that could benefit an entire community. C.S.H.B. 1480 provides language to clear up misinterpretations that funds may not be contributed to a conservation district unless those funds are matched by the state. The bill would allow counties and political subdivisions to have discretionary authority over the amount and purpose of the funds they have contributed to soil conservation districts even if the district does not have matching state funds. PURPOSE The purpose of this legislation is to allow a county or any other political subdivision to contribute funds to a soil and water conservation district regardless of available matching state funds. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 201.152(c), Agriculture Code. Permits all political subdivisions to contribute funds to a conservation district for the acquisition, construction and/or maintenance of flood control improvements as well as soil conservation and flood control programs. Sets forth that these contributed funds may be used to match funds received from the state. SECTION 2. Effective date. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute, drafted by the Legislative Council, does not change the substance of the original bill which was not a draft of the Legislative Council. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 1480 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on Tuesday, February 28, 1995. The committee considered a complete substitute for the bill. The substitute was adopted without objection. The bill was reported favorably as substituted, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed and be sent to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 1 absent. The following person testified neutrally on H.B. 1480: Mr. Bob Buckley representing the Texas Soil and Water Conservation Board.