By Oliveira                                           H.B. No. 1525

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to voter authorization for additional projects by certain

 1-3     economic development corporations.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 4A, Development Corporation Act of 1979

 1-6     (Article 5190.6, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by

 1-7     adding Subsection (s) to read as follows:

 1-8           (s)(1)  A city that creates or has created a corporation

 1-9     governed by this section may submit to the voters of the city, at a

1-10     separate election to be held on a uniform election date or at an

1-11     election held under another provision of this Act, including the

1-12     election at which the proposition to initially authorize the

1-13     collection of a sales and use tax for the benefit of the

1-14     corporation is submitted, a ballot proposition that authorizes the

1-15     corporation to use the sales and use tax, including any amount

1-16     previously authorized and collected, for a specific project or for

1-17     a specific category of projects that does not qualify under this

1-18     section but qualifies under Section 4B of this Act.  Prior approval

1-19     of a specific project at an election or completion of a specific

1-20     project approved at an election does not prohibit a city from

1-21     seeking voter approval of an additional project or category of

1-22     projects under this subsection to be funded from the same sales and

1-23     use tax.

1-24                 (2)  In the election to authorize the use of the sales

 2-1     or use tax for a specific project or for a specific category of

 2-2     projects not authorized under this section, the project or category

 2-3     of projects must be clearly described on the ballot so that a voter

 2-4     will be able to discern the limits of the specific project or

 2-5     category of projects authorized by the proposition.  If maintenance

 2-6     and operating costs of an otherwise authorized facility are to be

 2-7     paid from the sales or use tax, the ballot language must clearly

 2-8     state that fact.

 2-9                 (3)  Before an election may be held under this

2-10     subsection, a public hearing shall be held in the city to inform

2-11     the residents of the city of the cost and impact of the project or

2-12     category of projects.  At least 30 days before the date set for the

2-13     hearing, a notice of the date, time, place, and subject of the

2-14     hearing shall be published in a newspaper with general circulation

2-15     in the city in which the project is located.  The notice should be

2-16     published on a weekly basis until the date of the hearing.

2-17                 (4)  If a majority of the voters voting on the issue do

2-18     not approve a specific project or a specific category of projects

2-19     at an election under this subsection, another election may not be

2-20     held on the same project or category of projects before the first

2-21     anniversary of the date of the most recent election disapproving

2-22     the project or category of projects.

2-23           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-26     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-27     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-2     passage, and it is so enacted.