BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 628

79R7010 QS-D                                                                                                                   By: Lucio

Intergovernmental Relations

4/18/2005

As Filed

AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, passed a demonstration program that allowed a home-rule municipality having a population of 1.18 million or more and predominantly located in a county with a total area of less than 1,000 square miles to adopt and establish an "Urban Land Bank Demonstration Program in an effort to address the increasing shortage of affordable housing."  Under such brackets, the City of Dallas was the only municipality that could establish an Urban Land Bank to address affordable housing problems.  Land banks provide an opportunity for cities to address the dual problems of insufficient low-income housing and decaying neighborhoods by turning tax-delinquent properties into affordable housing.

As proposed, S.B. 628 removes the existing 1.18 million population bracket in Chapter 379C, Local Government Code, allowing municipalities with populations greater than 125,000 to establish Urban Land Banks to address increasing affordable housing needs.

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 the heading to Chapter 379C, Local Government Code, to read as follows:

CHAPTER 379C.  URBAN LAND BANK PROGRAM

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 379C.001, Local Government Code, to make a conforming changes.

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 379C.002, Local Government Code, to provide that this chapter is applicable only to a municipality with a population of 125,000 or more, rather than a home-rule municipality with a population of 1.18 million or more and located predominately in a county that has a total area of less than 1,000 square miles.

SECTION 4.  Amends Sections 379C.003(5) and (6), Local Government Code, to make conforming changes.

SECTION 5.  Amends Section 379C.004, Local Government Code, to make conforming changes.

SECTION 6.  Amends Section 379C.005, Local Government Code, to make conforming changes.

SECTION 7.  Amends the heading to Section 379C.006, Local Government Code, to make a conforming change.

SECTION 8.  Amends Sections 379C.006(a) and (b), Local Government Code, to make conforming changes.

SECTION 9.  Effective date:  September 1, 2005.