H.B. 3074 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 3074 By: Flynn Government Reform Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Local Government Code authorizes regional planning commissions to be eligible to receive financial assistance from the Governor=s office if they meet requirements set out in Section 391.012. This section also sets out a funding formula for allocating available financial assistance. It does not make an appropriation. H.B. 3074 has two purposes. First, the bill cleans up and updates outdated language that specifies how regional planning commissions may use financial assistance. Second, the bill provides the Governor=s office more flexibility in the allocation of financial assistance to regional planning commissions, depending on the levels of funding made available by the Legislature. H.B. 3074 does not make an appropriation. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 391.012, Local Government Code, as follows: Section 391.012. STATE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. (a) Eliminates the outdated phrase Aor subregion@ when referring to areas included in a regional planning commission region. (b) Deletes outdated language defining a comprehensive development planning process. Adds new language outlining how regional planning commissions may use state financial assistance. Uses include: promoting intergovernmental cooperation through coordinating regional plans and programs of governmental bodies; acting as a regional review agency under the Texas Review and Comment System; leveraging financial resources to obtain maximum federal and private funding for the region; assisting local governments; and assisting state agencies and organizations in planning for and assisting in carrying out state programs and services at the local level. (c) Changes the funding formula for state financial assistance to a regional planning commission by: eliminating the $10,000 base grant while adding new language specifying that the total amount available to a commission is no less than $50,000. (d) Specifies that, if state appropriations are more than the amount necessary to fund the level of financial assistance generated by the formula, each regional planning commission receives a proportionally greater award. (e) Provides that, if state appropriations are less than the amount necessary to fund the level of financial assistance generated by the formula, no regional planning commission will receive less than $50,000, as long as all regional planning commissions receive at least the same amount of funding as they received in fiscal year 2003. However, if funding drops below the 2003 level, funding to all regional planning commissions is reduced proportionally. SECTION 2. Effective date. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003.