BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1841
79R11314 MFC-F By: West, Royce
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, the Local Government Code requires appointment of a public housing tenant as a commissioner of a municipal, regional, or county housing authority. There are now fewer public housing tenants than housing assistance recipients. As proposed, S.B. 1841 broadens the category to make this opportunity available to those directly assisted by the public housing authority, thereby broadening the pool available for potential appointees.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 392.0331, Local Government Code, by amending Subsections (b), (c), (d), (g), and (h) and adding Subsection (j), as follows:
(b) Requires a municipality with a municipal housing authority, in appointing commissioners under Section 392.031, to appoint at least one eligible tenant as a commissioner of the authority, rather than at least one commissioner to the authority who is a tenant of a public housing project over which the authority has jurisdiction. Makes a conforming change.
(c) and (d) Make conforming changes.
(g) Prohibits a commissioner appointed under this section from participating in any vote or discussion concerning the termination of the commissioner's tenant-based housing assistance rights or the corresponding rights of any person related in the first degree by consanguinity to the commissioner.
(h) Requires a majority of the other commissioners, if during the commissioner's term a commissioner appointed under this section ceases to reside in a housing unit operated by the public housing authority or ceases to receive tenant-based housing assistance administered by the public housing authority, to decide whether to request that a new commissioner be appointed.
(j) Defines "eligible tenant" and "tenant-based housing assistance."
SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2005.