BILL ANALYSIS
By: Blake
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
CSHB 1982 amends the Agriculture Code by adding Section 12.039 to establish and operate the Texas Certified Retirement Community Program within the Texas Department of Agriculture. Texans are getting older. This segment of our state's population will continue to play an increasingly important role in shaping the economic health of our state. The mature market, those 50 and over, comprised over 70 million individuals in the United States in 2003, most of whom will be retiring in the next 5 to 10 years. This market owns 77 percent of privately held financial assets, owns 80 percent of all money in US savings and loan institutions, and controls half the discretionary spending in the country. This bill creates a program that will give communities another tool to market and promote themselves as a desirable location for retirees seeking to relocate in Texas.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Agriculture in SECTION 1, Chapter 12, Section 12.039(k), Agriculture Code, of this bill.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 12, Agriculture Code, by adding Section 12.039 to read as follows:
Sec. 12.039 TEXAS CERTIFIED RETIREMENT COMMUNITY PROGRAM .
(a) Defines program to mean the Texas Certified Retirement Community Program.
(b) Requires that the Texas Department of Agriculture establish and maintain the Texas Certified Retirement Community Program. Specifies that the program should be designed to encourage retirees to live in these Texas communities.
(c) States the program mission in promotion of the retirement program, assistance with Texas communities, development and encourage tourism.
(d) States the specifications to be certified as a Texas certified retirement community including completion of a retiree desirability assessment, gain community support, and identifying medical facilities. Requires submission of an application fee as specified, marketing plan, and long-term plan.
(e) Details the scoring system to be used.
(f) States requirements in establishing parameters for certification.
(g) States the assistance the Agriculture Department must provide in the event of meeting the requirements.
(h) Gives the expiration date of a communities certification and states requirements for recertification.
(i) Explains what a Texas certified retirement community program account is.
(j) Grants permission for the department to enter into contracts as specified.
(k) Requires the adoption of rules for program implementation.
SECTION 2: Requires program implementation no later than September 1, 2006.
SECTION 3: Effective date.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The substitute bill adds two subsections. Subsection (i) specifies how an account for the Texas certified retirement program is established. Subsection (j) is added permitting the department to contract with local and non-profit organizations. Subsection (k) is now the former subsection (j) which granted rulemaking authority.