BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 2805 By: Naishtat April 11, 1995 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND Municipal housing authorities are governed by boards with commissioners appointed by the mayor. Although public housing tenants are not prohibited from serving as commissioners, tenants generally have not been appointed to serve where such appointment is not required. This lack of tenant involvement impedes communication. House Bill 1547, passed in the 73rd Session, provided for the appointment of tenant representatives as commissioners of municipal, county, and regional housing authorities. However, cities with a population of less than 75,000 were exempted from its provisions. PURPOSE The intent of the proposed legislation is to make housing authority boards more responsive to the needs of residents of public housing and thereby to improve the living conditions in public housing. This bill calls for one of the commissioners of municipal housing authority boards to be a tenant of public housing, regardless of the size of the city. 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 392.0331(a), Local Government Code, by deleting the exemption for municipalities with a population under 75,000. All municipal housing authorities are thereby covered by the provisions of this section. Amends Section 392.0331(f), Local Government Code, to prohibit tenant representative commissioners from serving consecutive terms. SECTION 2. Provides that any housing authority commissioner serving on the effective date of this act may continue to serve out his or her term. Provides that tenant representatives shall be appointed as the terms of current commissioners expire or as other vacancies arise. SECTION 3. Emergency Clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute amends Section 392.0331(f), Local Government Code, to prohibit tenant representative commissioners from serving consecutive terms. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION HB 2805 was considered by the full committee on April 3, 1995. The committee considered a complete substitute for the bill. The substitute was adopted without objection. The following people testified in favor of the bill: Rep. Naishtat; John Henneberger, representing Texas Low Income Housing Information Service; Pamela M. Brown, representing Texas Legal Services Center; and Janee Briesemeister, representing Consumer's Union. The bill was reported favorably, as substituted, by a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays, 1 pnv, and 2 absent.