H.B. No. 2875 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the continued eligibility for assistance of certain 1-3 areas formerly classified as economically distressed areas. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 15.407, Water Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Subsection (g) to read as follows: 1-7 (g) If, after submission of an application under this 1-8 section, a county has an increase in average per capita income or a 1-9 decrease in unemployment rate average so that the county no longer 1-10 meets the definition of an affected county in Section 16.341, the 1-11 political subdivision that submits the application continues to be 1-12 eligible for the funds under this section, and the board shall 1-13 process the application for facility engineering and, if the 1-14 application is approved, shall provide funds for the facility 1-15 engineering plan to the political subdivision. 1-16 SECTION 2. Section 17.926, Water Code, is amended to read as 1-17 follows: 1-18 Sec. 17.926. Applicants' Continued Eligibility. If, after 1-19 submission of a financial assistance application under this 1-20 subchapter or an application for funds under Section 15.407, a 1-21 county has an increase in average per capita income or decrease in 1-22 unemployment rate average so that the county no longer meets the 1-23 criteria in this subchapter, the political subdivision that submits 1-24 the application continues to be eligible for the financial 2-1 assistance under this subchapter, and the board shall process the 2-2 application and, if the application is approved, shall provide 2-3 financial assistance to the political subdivision to complete the 2-4 project. 2-5 SECTION 3. The change in law made by Section 15.407(g), 2-6 Water Code, as added by this Act, and Section 17.926, Water Code, 2-7 as amended by this Act, applies only to an application for 2-8 assistance: 2-9 (1) that was submitted by a political subdivision that 2-10 is receiving funds on the effective date of this Act from the Texas 2-11 Water Development Board for the payment of costs of preparation of 2-12 a facility engineering plan in an economically distressed area; or 2-13 (2) that is: 2-14 (A) pending before the Texas Water Development 2-15 Board on the effective date of this Act; or 2-16 (B) submitted to the Texas Water Development 2-17 Board on or after the effective date of this Act. 2-18 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-23 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-24 passage, and it is so enacted.