By Hill H.B. No. 1410 75R4231 BEM-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to authorizing economic development corporations to 1-3 provide affordable housing. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 2(10), Development Corporation Act of 1-6 1979 (Article 5190.6, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to 1-7 read as follows: 1-8 (10) "Project" shall mean the land, buildings, 1-9 equipment, facilities, and improvements (one or more) found by the 1-10 board of directors to be required or suitable for the promotion of 1-11 development and expansion of manufacturing and industrial 1-12 facilities, transportation facilities (including but not limited to 1-13 airports, ports, mass commuting facilities, and parking 1-14 facilities), sewage or solid waste disposal facilities, recycling 1-15 facilities, air or water pollution control facilities, facilities 1-16 for the furnishing of water to the general public, affordable 1-17 housing, distribution centers, small warehouse facilities capable 1-18 of serving as decentralized storage and distribution centers, and 1-19 facilities which are related to any of the foregoing, and in 1-20 furtherance of the public purposes of this Act, all as defined in 1-21 the rules of the department, irrespective of whether in existence 1-22 or required to be identified, acquired, or constructed thereafter. 1-23 As used in this Act, the term "development areas" shall mean any 1-24 area or areas of a city that the city finds and determines, after a 2-1 public hearing, should be developed in order to meet the 2-2 development objectives of the city. In addition, in blighted or 2-3 economically depressed areas, development areas, federally 2-4 designated empowerment zones and enterprise communities designated 2-5 under Section 1391, Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or federally 2-6 assisted new communities located within a home-rule city or a 2-7 federally designated economically depressed county of less than 2-8 50,000 persons according to the last federal decennial census, a 2-9 project may include the land, buildings, equipment, facilities, and 2-10 improvements (one or more) found by the board of directors to be 2-11 required or suitable for the promotion of commercial development 2-12 and expansion and in furtherance of the public purposes of this 2-13 Act, or for use by commercial enterprises, all as defined in the 2-14 rules of the department, irrespective of whether in existence or 2-15 required to be acquired or constructed thereafter. As used in this 2-16 Act, the term blighted or economically depressed areas shall mean 2-17 those areas and areas immediately adjacent thereto within a city 2-18 which by reason of the presence of a substantial number of 2-19 substandard, slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures, or 2-20 which suffer from a high relative rate of unemployment, or which 2-21 have been designated and included in a tax incremental district 2-22 created under Chapter 695, Acts of the 66th Legislature, Regular 2-23 Session, 1979 (Article 1066d, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), or 2-24 any combination of the foregoing, the city finds and determines, 2-25 after a hearing, substantially impair or arrest the sound growth of 2-26 the city, or constitute an economic or social liability and are a 2-27 menace to the public health, safety, or welfare in their present 3-1 condition and use. The department shall adopt guidelines that 3-2 describe the kinds of areas that may be considered to be blighted 3-3 or economically depressed. The city shall consider these 3-4 guidelines in making its findings and determinations. Notice of 3-5 the hearing at which the city considers establishment of a 3-6 development area or an economically depressed or blighted area 3-7 shall be posted at the city hall before the hearing. 3-8 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 3-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-14 passage, and it is so enacted. 3-15 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 3-16 Amend House Bill NO. 1410 on page 1, line 17 after "housing" 3-17 and before "," by inserting "(as defined by 42 USC Sec. 12745)". 3-18 Seaman