By Giddings                                     H.B. No. 2057

      75R6700 KKA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the linked deposit program.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  The heading to Subchapter N, Chapter 481,

 1-5     Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

 1-6             SUBCHAPTER N.  [HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS

 1-7                 AND SMALL BUSINESS] LINKED DEPOSIT PROGRAM

 1-8           SECTION 2.  Section 481.191, Government Code, is amended to

 1-9     read as follows:

1-10           Sec. 481.191.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:

1-11                 (1)  "Child-care provider" means a small business that

1-12     operates or proposes to operate a day-care center or group day-care

1-13     home, as those terms are defined by Section 42.002, Human Resources

1-14     Code.

1-15                 (2)  "Eligible borrower" means:

1-16                       (A)  a person who proposes to begin operating a

1-17     small business in an enterprise zone, as defined by Section

1-18     2303.003, [a distressed community] or a historically underutilized

1-19     business; or

1-20                       (B)  a child-care provider.

1-21                 (3) [(2)]  "Eligible lending institution" means a

1-22     financial institution that makes commercial loans, is a depository

1-23     of state funds, and agrees to participate in the linked deposit

1-24     program established by this subchapter and to provide collateral

 2-1     equal to the amount of linked deposits placed with it.

 2-2                 (4) [(3)]  "Historically underutilized business" means:

 2-3                       (A)  a corporation formed for the purpose of

 2-4     making a profit in which at least 51 percent of all classes of the

 2-5     shares of stock or other equitable securities is owned by one or

 2-6     more persons who are members of certain groups, including black

 2-7     Americans, Hispanic Americans, women, Asian Pacific Americans, and

 2-8     American Indians;

 2-9                       (B)  a sole proprietorship formed for the purpose

2-10     of making a profit that is 100 percent owned, operated, and

2-11     controlled by a person described by Paragraph (A) of this

2-12     subdivision;

2-13                       (C)  a partnership formed for the purpose of

2-14     making a profit in which 51 percent of the assets and interest in

2-15     the partnership is owned by one or more persons described by

2-16     Paragraph (A) of this subdivision.  Those persons must have

2-17     proportionate interest and demonstrate active participation in the

2-18     control, operation, and management of the partnership's affairs; or

2-19                       (D)  a joint venture in which each entity in the

2-20     joint venture is a historically underutilized business under this

2-21     subdivision.

2-22                 (5) [(4)]  "Small business" means a corporation,

2-23     partnership, sole proprietorship, or other legal entity that:

2-24                       (A)  is domiciled in this state;

2-25                       (B)  is formed to make a profit;

2-26                       (C)  is independently owned and operated; and

2-27                       (D)  employs fewer than 100 full-time employees.

 3-1           SECTION 3.  Sections 481.193(a) and (g), Government Code, are

 3-2     amended to read as follows:

 3-3           (a)  The department shall establish a linked deposit program

 3-4     to encourage commercial lending for the development of:

 3-5                 (1)  small businesses in enterprise zones;

 3-6                 (2)  [distressed communities and] historically

 3-7     underutilized businesses; and

 3-8                 (3)  quality, affordable child-care services in this

 3-9     state.

3-10           (g)  After the comptroller's [state treasurer's] acceptance

3-11     of the application and the lending institution originates a loan to

3-12     an eligible borrower, the comptroller [state treasurer] shall place

3-13     a linked deposit with the applicable eligible lending institution

3-14     for the period of the loan, subject to Subsections (h) and (i).

3-15     The comptroller is not required to maintain the deposit with the

3-16     lending institution if the loan is extended, renewed, or

3-17     renegotiated unless the comptroller accepts a new linked deposit

3-18     loan application under this section for the loan as modified [the

3-19     treasurer considers appropriate.  The state treasurer may not place

3-20     a deposit for a period extending beyond the state fiscal biennium

3-21     in which it is placed].  Subject to the limitation described by

3-22     Section 481.197, the comptroller [treasurer] may place a time

3-23     deposit [deposits] at an interest rate described by Section 481.192

3-24     and may modify the interest rate during the period of the loan,

3-25     notwithstanding any order of the State Depository Board to the

3-26     contrary.

3-27           SECTION 4.  Section 481.197(b), Government Code, is amended

 4-1     to read as follows:

 4-2           (b)  The maximum amount of a loan under the linked deposit

 4-3     program is $250,000 [$100,000].

 4-4           SECTION 5.  Subchapter N, Chapter 481, Government Code, is

 4-5     amended by adding Sections 481.198 and 481.199 to read as follows:

 4-6           Sec. 481.198.  MARKETING.  (a)  The department shall promote

 4-7     the linked deposit program established by this subchapter to

 4-8     eligible borrowers and financial institutions that make commercial

 4-9     loans and are depositories of state funds.

4-10           (b)  Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the

4-11     department shall prepare and deliver to the governor, lieutenant

4-12     governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and clerks of

4-13     the standing committees of the senate and house of representatives

4-14     with primary jurisdiction over commerce and economic development a

4-15     report concerning the department's efforts in promoting the linked

4-16     deposit program during the preceding two years.

4-17           Sec. 481.199.  ADMINISTRATIVE FEE.  (a)  After accepting an

4-18     application for a linked deposit loan, the department may charge

4-19     the eligible borrower a fee not to exceed one percent of the loan

4-20     amount.

4-21           (b)  Money collected through imposition of the administrative

4-22     fee may be appropriated only to the department to administer and

4-23     promote the linked deposit program.

4-24           SECTION 6.  Section 481.195, Government Code, is repealed.

4-25           SECTION 7.  This Act does not apply to a linked deposit

4-26     governed by a written deposit agreement executed before the

4-27     effective date of this Act.  A linked deposit governed by a written

 5-1     deposit agreement executed before the effective date of this Act is

 5-2     governed by the law in effect at the time the agreement was

 5-3     executed, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

 5-4           SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 5-5           SECTION 9.  The importance of this legislation and the

 5-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 5-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 5-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 5-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.