By:  Truan, Lucio, West                                S.B. No. 844

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the provision of water and sewer service in certain

 1-2     economically distressed areas.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 2306.589, Government Code, is amended to

 1-5     read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 2306.589.  Colonia Set-Aside Fund.  (a)  The department

 1-7     shall establish a fund in the department designated as the colonia

 1-8     set-aside fund.

 1-9           (b)  The department by rule shall provide that an application

1-10     for assistance in paying for residential service lines, hookups,

1-11     and plumbing improvements associated with being connected to a

1-12     water supply or sewer service system may be submitted after

1-13     construction of a water supply or sewer service system begins.  The

1-14     department shall approve or disapprove a timely application before

1-15     construction of the water supply or sewer service is completed in

1-16     order to eliminate delay in hookups once construction is completed.

1-17     The department and the Texas Water Development Board shall

1-18     coordinate the application process for hookup funds under this

1-19     subsection and under Subchapter L, Chapter 15, Water Code, and

1-20     shall share information elicited by each agency's application

1-21     procedure in order to avoid duplication of effort and to eliminate

1-22     the need for applicants to complete different forms with similar

1-23     information.

 2-1           (c)  The department may use money in the colonia set-aside

 2-2     fund for specific activities that assist colonias, including:

 2-3                 (1)  the operation and activities of the self-help

 2-4     centers established under this subchapter; [or]

 2-5                 (2)  reimbursement of colonia advisory committee

 2-6     members for their reasonable expenses in the manner provided by

 2-7     Article 6252-33, Revised Statutes, or the General Appropriations

 2-8     Act; and

 2-9                 (3)  funding for the provision of water and sewer

2-10     service connections in accordance with Subsection (b).

2-11           (d) [(c)]  The department may review and approve an

2-12     application for funding from the colonia set-aside fund that

2-13     advances the policy and goals of the state in addressing problems

2-14     in the colonias.

2-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-16           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.