79R7020 JD-D

By:  Phillips                                                     H.B. No. 1499



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the definition of certain terms in the Texas Economic 
Development Act.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 313.021, Tax Code, is amended by 
amending Subdivision (3) and adding Subdivisions (6) and (7) to 
read as follows:
		(3)  "Qualifying job" means a permanent full-time job 
that:                 
			(A)  requires at least 1,600 hours of work a year;                           
			(B)  is not transferred from one area in this 
state to another area in this state;
			(C)  is not created to replace a previous 
employee;                        
			(D)  is covered by a group health benefit plan[, 
as defined by Section 481.151, Government Code,] for which the 
business offers to pay at least 80 percent of the premiums or other 
charges assessed for employee-only coverage under the plan, if the 
county where the job is located is not a strategic investment area 
county, or at least 50 percent of the premiums or other charges 
assessed for employee-only coverage under the plan, if the county 
where the job is located is a strategic investment area county,
regardless of whether an employee may voluntarily waive the 
coverage; and
			(E)  if the county where the job is located is not 
a strategic investment area county, pays at least 110 percent of the 
county average weekly wage for manufacturing jobs in that [the] 
county [where the job is located].
		(6)  "Group health benefit plan" means:                                
			(A)  a health plan provided by a health 
maintenance organization established under Chapter 843, Insurance 
Code;
			(B)  a health benefit plan approved by the 
commissioner of insurance; or
			(C)  a self-funded or self-insured employee 
welfare benefit plan that provides health benefits and is 
established in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. Section 1001 et seq.).
		(7)  "Strategic investment area county" means a county 
with above state average unemployment or below state average per 
capita income, as determined by the comptroller under Section 
171.726.
	SECTION 2.  Section 313.021(3), Tax Code, as amended by this 
Act, applies only to an agreement to limit the appraised value of 
property for ad valorem tax purposes that is entered into on or 
after the effective date of this Act, except that the parties to 
such an agreement that was entered into before the effective date of 
this Act may amend that agreement to incorporate the amendments to 
Section 313.021(3) of that code made by this Act.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2005.