By: Armbrister S.B. No. 1852 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the creation and operation of the Texas Affordable 1-2 Housing Task Force. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 2306, Government Code, is amended by 1-5 adding Subchapter AA to read as follows: 1-6 SUBCHAPTER AA. TEXAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE 1-7 Sec. 2306.615. GENERAL PROVISIONS. (a) The Texas 1-8 Affordable Housing Task Force is composed of 11 members appointed 1-9 by the governor and the director, who serves as an ex officio 1-10 member. The task force must include: 1-11 (1) one person representing home builders; 1-12 (2) one person representing the apartment industry; 1-13 (3) one person representing land developers; 1-14 (4) one person representing cities with a population 1-15 of over 20,000; 1-16 (5) one person representing cities with a population 1-17 of under 20,000; 1-18 (6) one person representing the lending industry; 1-19 (7) one person representing building code officials; 1-20 (8) one person representing public housing 1-21 authorities; 1-22 (9) one person representing community housing 1-23 development organizations recognized by the department; 1-24 (10) one person who is a low-income housing resident; 2-1 and 2-2 (11) one person representing the general public. 2-3 (b) A person is eligible for appointment to the task force 2-4 if the person is a registered voter of the state and the person, 2-5 other than a person representing local governments, does not hold 2-6 another public office. 2-7 (c) An elected or appointed official of a political 2-8 subdivision of the state appointed to the task force to represent 2-9 local governments serves as a member of the task force as an 2-10 additional or ex officio duty required by the member's other 2-11 official capacity, and the member's service on the task force is 2-12 not dual office holding. 2-13 (d) Appointments to the task force shall be made without 2-14 regard to race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national 2-15 origin and shall be made in a manner that produces representation 2-16 on the task force of different geographical regions of the state. 2-17 (e) The members of the task force shall elect a member to 2-18 serve as presiding officer of the task force. The task force shall 2-19 meet at the call of the presiding officer at least quarterly. 2-20 (f) A member of the task force is not entitled to 2-21 compensation or reimbursement of expenses. 2-22 (g) The department shall provide staff support to the task 2-23 force. The task force may select and use other advisors in 2-24 carrying out its duties under this subchapter. 2-25 (h) This subchapter expires and the Texas Affordable Housing 2-26 Task Force is abolished on December 31, 1998. 2-27 Sec. 2306.616. POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The task force shall 3-1 evaluate regulations and policies relating to housing to identify 3-2 those regulations and policies that: 3-3 (1) unnecessarily increase the cost of constructing or 3-4 rehabilitating affordable housing; 3-5 (2) create barriers to affordable housing 3-6 opportunities for low-income Texans; or 3-7 (3) otherwise limit the availability of affordable 3-8 housing. 3-9 (b) The regulations and policies to be evaluated by the task 3-10 force include: 3-11 (1) zoning provisions; 3-12 (2) deed restrictions; 3-13 (3) impact fees and other development fees; 3-14 (4) permitting processes; 3-15 (5) restrictions on the use of affordable housing 3-16 options, including manufactured and modular housing, accessory 3-17 apartments, self-help housing initiatives, development of housing 3-18 by community-based nonprofit housing corporations, and single-room 3-19 occupancy units; 3-20 (6) building codes; 3-21 (7) overlapping or duplicative governmental authority 3-22 over housing construction; 3-23 (8) environmental regulations; and 3-24 (9) practices which impede access to affordable 3-25 housing and finance opportunities. 3-26 (c) The task force shall make recommendations designed to 3-27 increase the availability of affordable housing throughout the 4-1 state based on its review and evaluation under Subsections (a) and 4-2 (b). The recommendations may include: 4-3 (1) recognition of affordable housing as a state 4-4 priority; 4-5 (2) establishment of procedures for reconciling 4-6 regulations and policies with statewide affordable housing goals; 4-7 (3) resolution of disputes relating to land 4-8 development; 4-9 (4) establishment of statewide standards that support 4-10 affordable housing; 4-11 (5) elimination of discrimination against particular 4-12 affordable housing options; 4-13 (6) recommendations of innovative approaches which 4-14 promote construction, rehabilitation, or maintenance of affordable 4-15 housing; 4-16 (7) revision of local regulations and policies 4-17 relating to housing in a manner that decreases the cost of 4-18 constructing or rehabilitating affordable housing or otherwise 4-19 increases the availability of affordable housing while ensuring 4-20 public health and safety; 4-21 (8) the role of community-based nonprofit housing 4-22 development corporations in providing affordable housing; and 4-23 (9) sales, leasing, and lending practices which affect 4-24 affordability. 4-25 Sec. 2306.617. REPORT ON EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 4-26 Not later than December 31, 1998, the task force shall submit a 4-27 report to the governor, the presiding officer of each house of the 5-1 legislature, the board, and appropriate state agencies that: 5-2 (1) identifies regulations and policies that 5-3 unnecessarily increase the cost of housing or otherwise adversely 5-4 affect the availability of affordable housing; and 5-5 (2) provides recommendations, including proposals for 5-6 legislative action, for revising the regulations and policies 5-7 identified in Subdivision (1) to promote the availability of 5-8 affordable housing. 5-9 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 5-10 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 5-11 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.