By Eiland H.B. No. 3471 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the administration of oil overcharge funds. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapters D and E, Chapter 2305, Government 1-5 Code, are repealed and a new Subchapter D is added to read as 1-6 follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER D. GRANT PROGRAMS 1-8 Sec. 2305.031. GRANT PROGRAMS. The governor and the energy 1-9 office of the General Services Commission may use direct and 1-10 competitive grant programs to finance projects in compliance with 1-11 state and federal laws and regulations to conserve energy, provide 1-12 restitution, and accomplish the other purposes for which oil 1-13 overcharge funds are provided. The programs may include the 1-14 following: 1-15 (1) the state energy program, for projects that 1-16 promote conservation and save measurable quantities of energy; 1-17 (2) the state agencies program, for projects that 1-18 promote energy conservation in state agencies, including training, 1-19 performance contracting, energy efficient design assistance and 1-20 similar activities; 1-21 (3) the alternative fuels program, for projects that 1-22 promote, facilitate, and support the use of alternative fuels in 2-1 the state; 2-2 (4) the housing partnership program, for projects that 2-3 promote the efficient use of energy in Texas residential housing 2-4 through grants, partnerships, and loans; 2-5 (5) the Loanstar revolving loan program, to make low 2-6 interest loans to state agencies and political subdivisions for 2-7 energy-saving capital improvements; 2-8 (6) the renewable energy demonstration program, for 2-9 demonstration projects that promote sustainability and the 2-10 development of renewable energy resources; 2-11 (7) the local government energy program, for projects 2-12 providing energy management assistance to local governments and 2-13 political subdivisions; 2-14 (8) the transportation energy program, for projects 2-15 relating to mass transit and other transportation services; and 2-16 (9) other programs that promote the purposes of the 2-17 Act. 2-18 Sec. 2305.032. LOANSTAR REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM. (a) The 2-19 Loanstar revolving loan program shall be used to provide 2-20 low-interest loans to state agencies, including institutions of 2-21 higher education, and political subdivisions of the state for 2-22 energy-saving capital improvements. 2-23 (b) The energy office of the General Services Commission is 2-24 the supervising state agency for the program and shall make loans 2-25 through a competitive process to finance energy conservation 2-26 projects. The energy office shall determine the terms under which 2-27 a loan may be made and shall set the interest rate for each loan at 3-1 a rate sufficient to recover the cost of administering the loan 3-2 program. 3-3 Sec. 2305.032. FUNDING FOR LOANSTAR PROGRAM. The energy 3-4 office shall allocate at least $95 million, including loan 3-5 commitments and cash on hand, to the Loanstar program, and shall 3-6 administer the funds under its control in such a way as to assure 3-7 that funds available to the Loanstar program equal or exceed $95 3-8 million at all times. 3-9 SECTION 2. Section 2305.013, Government Code, is repealed. 3-10 SECTION 3. (a) This Act takes effect on September 1, 1997. 3-11 (b) The change in law made by this Act does not affect taxes 3-12 or contracts in existence before the effective date of this Act, 3-13 and the law in effect before the effective date of the Act is 3-14 continued in effect for purposes of the existing contracts and for 3-15 the liability and collection of taxes. 3-16 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.