Amend CSSB 322 (House Committee Report) by adding the
following sections and by renumbering existing sections of the bill
accordingly:
SECTION 1. Section 15.001, Water Code, is amended by adding
Subdivision (12) to read as follows:
(12) "Nonborder colonia" means a residential
community:
(A) located in an unincorporated area of a
county all parts of which are at least 150 miles from the
international border of this state;
(B) in which water or wastewater services are
inadequate to meet minimal needs of residential users as defined by
board rules; and
(C) in which the average household income is
less than the average household income for the county in which the
community is located.
SECTION 2. Section 15.008, Water Code, is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 15.008. GRANT STANDARDS. Chapter 783, Government Code,
<The Uniform Grant and Contract Management Act of 1981 (Article
4413(32g), Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes)> does not apply to a
contract under Subchapter F, H, or K or to a contract relating to
an economically distressed area or nonborder colonia under
Subchapter C <of this chapter>.
SECTION 3. Section 15.102(b), Water Code, is amended to read
as follows:
(b) The loan fund may also be used by the board to provide
grants or loans for projects that include supplying water and
wastewater services in economically distressed areas or nonborder
colonias as provided by legislative appropriations, this chapter,
and board rules, including projects involving retail distribution
of those services.
SECTION 4. Section 15.105, Water Code, is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 15.105. CONSIDERATIONS IN PASSING ON APPLICATION. In
passing on an application for financial assistance from the loan
fund, the board shall consider but is not limited to:
(1) the needs of the area to be served by the project
and the benefit of the project to the area in relation to the needs
of other areas requiring state assistance in any manner and the
benefits of those projects to the other areas;
(2) the availability of revenue to the applicant from
all sources for the ultimate repayment of the cost of the project,
including all interest;
(3) the relationship of the project to overall
statewide needs;
(4) the ability of the applicant to finance the
project without state assistance; and
(5) for applications for grants or loans for
economically distressed areas or nonborder colonias, the regulatory
efforts by the county in which the project is located to control
the construction of subdivisions that lack basic utility services.
SECTION 5. Section 775.001, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
(3) "Nonborder colonia" has the meaning assigned by
Section 15.01, Water Code.
SECTION 6. Section 775.002(c), Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(c) The colonia initiatives coordinator may work with the
other agencies and local officials involved in colonia projects in
the state to:
(1) coordinate efforts to address colonia issues;
(2) identify nonprofit self-help groups to help with
colonia initiatives;
(3) set goals for each state fiscal year for colonia
initiatives in the state, including goals to:
(A) address easement problems; and
(B) ensure that water and wastewater connections
are extended from distribution lines to houses located in colonias;
<and>
(4) ensure that the goals set under this subsection
are met each state fiscal year; and
(5) coordinate state outreach efforts to nonborder
colonias and to political subdivisions capable of providing water
and wastewater services to nonborder colonias.