By Hill, Cuellar, Olivo, Oliveira, Ehrhardt           H.B. No. 1982
         76R2845 KEL-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the effect of a municipal annexation on a colonia's
 1-3     continued eligibility for certain assistance.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 43, Local Government Code,
 1-6     is amended by adding Section 43.905 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 43.905.  EFFECT OF ANNEXATION ON COLONIAS.  (a)  In this
 1-8     section, "colonia" means a geographic area:
 1-9                 (1)  that has a majority population composed of
1-10     individuals and families of low income and very low income, as
1-11     defined by Section 2306.004, Government Code, and based on the
1-12     federal Office of Management and Budget poverty index, and that
1-13     meets the qualifications of an economically distressed area under
1-14     Section 17.921, Water Code; or
1-15                 (2)  that has the physical and economic characteristics
1-16     of a colonia, as determined by the Texas Department of Housing and
1-17     Community Affairs.
1-18           (b)  A colonia that is annexed by a municipality remains
1-19     eligible for five years after the effective date of the annexation
1-20     to receive any form of assistance for which the colonia would be
1-21     eligible if the annexation had not occurred.
1-22           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
1-23     to a colonia annexed by a municipality on or after the effective
1-24     date of this Act.  A colonia annexed by a municipality before the
 2-1     effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the
 2-2     colonia was annexed, and the former law is continued in effect for
 2-3     that purpose.
 2-4           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-5           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.