Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

      By Ramsay                                       H.B. No. 2167

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the authority of the Texas Department of Transportation

 1-3     to reimburse certain employees for relocation expenses.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter F, Chapter 201, Transportation Code,

 1-6     is amended by adding Section 201.406 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 201.406.  RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.  (a)  In addition to

 1-8     authority granted by other provisions of law, the department may,

 1-9     upon approval of the director, reimburse transferred employees for

1-10     expenses or costs related to selling existing housing and

1-11     purchasing and financing comparable replacement housing; provided

1-12     the director finds that the transfer will enhance the department's

1-13     ability to accomplish its goals and missions.

1-14           (b)  For purposes of this section, the following expenses or

1-15     costs related to the selling of existing housing and the leasing,

1-16     purchasing, and financing of comparable replacement housing are

1-17     deemed reimbursable:

1-18                 (1)  any commissions and fees due to a broker or real

1-19     estate agent;

1-20                 (2)  costs incurred as a purchaser to obtain a home

1-21     loan, including, but not limited to, loan application fees, credit

1-22     report fees, and mortgage points;

1-23                 (3)  origination fees, title insurance, recording fees,

1-24     and all other closing costs required to be paid by the employee;

 2-1                 (4)  fees or charges, other than refundable deposits,

 2-2     necessary to establish telephone, gas, and electric service; and

 2-3                 (5)  travel expenses incurred while looking for a new

 2-4     residence, reimbursed at the standard mileage rate, for travel to

 2-5     and from the new designated headquarters.

 2-6           (c)  Under this section, the department may not:

 2-7                 (1)  provide reimbursement for more than 25 employees

 2-8     per fiscal year;

 2-9                 (2)  pay a sum of more than $15,000 to any employee;

2-10                 (3)  purchase or pay any part of the purchase price of

2-11     any employee's home;

2-12                 (4)  provide such reimbursement for the purchase or

2-13     financing of a house if the employee did not own and occupy

2-14     existing housing at the time of transfer; or

2-15                 (5)  provide reimbursement when the distance between

2-16     the two designated headquarters of a transferred employee is less

2-17     than 25 miles.

2-18           (d)  The department may pay the reasonable, necessary, and

2-19     resulting costs of moving the household goods and effects of a

2-20     transferred employee so long as:

2-21                 (1)  the director determines that the transfer will

2-22     enhance the department's ability to accomplish its goals and

2-23     missions; and

2-24                 (2)  the distance between the two designated

2-25     headquarters of a transferred employee is at least 25 miles.

2-26           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-28     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-29     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-30     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.