SRC-TJG H.B. 3074 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterH.B. 3074 By: Flynn (Staples) Finance 5/14/2003 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE The Local Government Code authorizes a regional planning commission to be eligible to receive financial assistance from the governor's office if it meets requirements set forth in Section 391.012. That section also sets forth a funding formula for allocating available financial assistance. It does not make an appropriation. H.B. 3074 updates language that specifies how a regional planning commission may use state financial assistance. This bill also provides the governor's office more flexibility in the allocation of financial assistance to regional planning commissions, limited by the levels of funding made available by the legislature. It does not make an appropriation. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 391.012, Local Government Code, as follows: (a) Deletes existing term "subregion" regarding requirements for a regional planning commission (commission) to qualify for state financial assistance. Requires a commission to be engaged in a regional, rather than comprehensive development, planning process to qualify for state financial assistance. (b) Authorizes a commission, within funds available and in accordance with rules issued by the office of the governor, to use state financial assistance to take certain actions. Deletes existing text related to a comprehensive development planning process. (c) Provides that a commission that qualifies for state financial assistance is eligible for an amount, rather than a maximum amount, determined by a certain formula. (d) Requires the governor, if state appropriations are more than the amount necessary to fund the level of financial assistance generated by this formula, to increase the funding for which each commission is eligible in proportion to the amount it would have been eligible to receive in Subsection (c). Deletes existing language relating to the minimum amount of annual state financial assistance. (e) Provides that if state appropriations are less than the amount necessary to fund the level of financial assistance generated by the formula in Subsection (c) then certain funding requirements will apply. (f) Redesignated from existing Subsection (e). SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.