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 First, the bill cleans up and updates outdated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(a) Eliminates the outdated phrase Aor subregion@ when referring to areas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(b) Deletes outdated language defining a comprehensive development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.