By Oliveira                                     H.B. No. 1024

      75R2764 MI-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the allocation and use of community development block

 1-3     grants in certain economically distressed areas.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 2306.098, Government Code, is amended by

 1-6     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

 1-7           (c)  The comptroller each fiscal year shall deposit $2

 1-8     million of the federal money received by the state under the

 1-9     community development block grant program in an account in the

1-10     general revenue fund to be administered by the department under

1-11     this section.  Money in the account may be used only to provide

1-12     financial assistance in economically distressed areas to pay for

1-13     residential service lines, hookups, and plumbing improvements

1-14     associated with being connected to a water supply or sewer service

1-15     system financed under the economically distressed areas program

1-16     established under Subchapter J, Chapter 16, Water Code, and

1-17     Subchapter K, Chapter 17, Water Code.  The department by rule shall

1-18     provide that an application  for assistance under the program

1-19     authorized by this subsection may be submitted after construction

1-20     of the water supply or sewer service system begins.  The department

1-21     shall approve or disapprove a timely application before

1-22     construction of the water supply or sewer service system is

1-23     completed in order to eliminate delay in hookups once construction

1-24     is completed.  The department and the Texas Water Development Board

 2-1     shall coordinate and combine resources to streamline the

 2-2     application process for hookup funds under this subsection and

 2-3     under Subchapter L, Chapter 15, Water Code, and shall share

 2-4     information elicited by each agency's application procedure in

 2-5     order to eliminate the need for applicants to complete different

 2-6     forms with similar information.  In this subsection, "economically

 2-7     distressed area" has the meaning assigned by Section 17.921, Water

 2-8     Code.

 2-9           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-10           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.