79R16739 MCK-D


By:  Shapleigh                                                    S.B. No. 1481

Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1481:                                   

By:  Corte                                                    C.S.S.B. No. 1481


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to powers and duties of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 436.101, Government Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 436.101. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSION. The commission shall: (1) advise the governor and the legislature on military issues and economic and industrial development related to military issues; (2) make recommendations regarding: (A) the development of policies and plans to support the long-term viability and prosperity of the military, active and civilian, in this state, including promoting strategic regional alliances that may extend over state lines; and (B) [the development of methods to improve private and public employment opportunities for former members of the military residing in this state; and [(C)] the development of methods to assist defense-dependent communities in the design and execution of programs that enhance a community's relationship with military installations and defense-related businesses; (3) [develop and maintain a database of the names and public business information of all prime contractors and subcontractors operating in this state who perform defense-related work; [(4)] provide information to communities, the legislature, the state's congressional delegation, and state agencies regarding federal actions affecting military installations and missions; (4) [(5)] serve as a clearinghouse for: (A) defense economic adjustment and transition information and activities along with the Texas Business and Community Economic Development Clearinghouse; and (B) information about: (i) issues related to the operating costs, missions, and strategic value of federal military installations located in the state; (ii) employment issues for communities that depend on defense bases and in defense-related businesses; and (iii) defense strategies and incentive programs that other states are using to maintain, expand, and attract new defense contractors; (5) [(6)] provide assistance to communities that have experienced a defense-related closure or realignment; (6) [(7)] assist communities in the design and execution of programs that enhance a community's relationship with military installations and defense-related businesses, including regional alliances that may extend over state lines; (7) [(8)] assist communities in the retention and recruiting of defense-related businesses, including fostering strategic regional alliances that may extend over state lines; [(9) prepare a biennial strategic plan that: [(A) fosters the enhancement of military value of the contributions of Texas military installations to national defense strategies; [(B) considers all current and anticipated base realignment and closure criteria; and [(C) develops strategies to protect the state's existing military missions and positions the state to be competitive for new and expanded military missions;] and (8) [(10)] encourage economic development in this state by fostering the development of industries related to defense affairs. SECTION 2. Sections 436.103(b) and (d), Government Code, are amended to read as follows: (b) Not later than July 1 of each even-numbered year, the commission shall prepare and submit a report to the governor and the legislature about the active military installations, communities that depend on military installations, and defense-related businesses in this state. The commission may update the report in an odd-numbered year. The report must include: (1) an economic impact statement describing in detail the effect of the military on the economy of this state; (2) a statewide assessment of active military installations and current missions; (3) a statewide strategy to attract new military missions and defense-related business and include specific actions that add military value to existing military installations; (4) a list of state and federal activities that have significant impact on active military installations and current missions; (5) a statement identifying: (A) the state and federal programs and services that assist communities impacted by military base closures or realignments and the efforts to coordinate those programs; and (B) the efforts to coordinate state agency programs and services that assist communities in retaining active military installations and current missions; (6) an evaluation of initiatives to retain existing defense-related businesses; and (7) a list of agencies with regulations, policies, programs, or services that impact the operating costs or strategic value of federal military installations and activities in the state. (d) The commission shall periodically meet [coordinate annual meetings] with [the head of] each state agency that has defense-related programs or is engaged in a project in a defense-dependent community and with each [or] member of the legislature whose district contains an active, closed, or realigned military installation to discuss defense-related issues and the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the report required under Subsection (b). SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 436, Government Code, is amended by adding Sections 436.1531 and 436.1532 to read as follows: Sec. 436.1531. LOANS FOR COMMUNITIES ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY DEFENSE BASE REDUCTION. (a) The commission may provide a loan of financial assistance to a defense community for an economic development project that minimizes the negative effects of a defense base reduction on the defense community as a result of a United States Department of Defense base realignment process that occurs during 2005 or later. The loan shall be made from the Texas military value revolving loan account established under Section 436.156. (b) On receiving an application for a loan under this section, the commission shall evaluate the economic development project to determine how the project will minimize the negative effects of a defense base reduction on the defense community, including the number of jobs that the project will create and the economic impact the project will have on the community. (c) If the commission determines that a project will reduce the negative effects of a defense base reduction on the defense community, the commission shall: (1) analyze the creditworthiness of the defense community to determine the defense community's ability to repay the loan; and (2) evaluate the feasibility of the project to be financed to ensure that the defense community has pledged a source of revenue or taxes sufficient to repay the loan for the project. (d) If the commission determines that the funds will be used to finance an economic development project that will reduce the negative effects of a defense base reduction on the defense community and that the project is financially feasible, the commission may award a loan to the defense community for the project. The commission shall enter into a written agreement with a defense community that is awarded a loan. The agreement must contain the terms and conditions of the loan, including the loan repayment requirements. (e) The commission shall notify the Texas Public Finance Authority of the amount of the loan and the recipient of the loan and request the authority to issue general obligation bonds in an amount necessary to fund the loan. The commission and the authority shall determine the amount and time of a bond issue to best provide funds for one or multiple loans. (f) The commission shall administer the loans to ensure full repayment of the general obligation bonds issued to finance the project. (g) A project financed with a loan under this section must be completed on or before the fifth anniversary of the date the loan is awarded. (h) The amount of a loan under this section may not exceed the total cost of the project. Sec. 436.1532. LOANS FOR COMMUNITIES POSITIVELY AFFECTED BY DEFENSE BASE RESTRUCTURING. (a) The commission may provide a loan of financial assistance to a defense community for an infrastructure project to accomodate new or expanded military missions assigned to a military facility located in, near, or adjacent to the defense community as a result of a United States Department of Defense base realignment process that occurs during 2005 or later. The loan shall be made from the Texas military value revolving loan account established under Section 436.156. (b) On receiving an application for a loan under this section, the commission shall evaluate the infrastructure project to determine how the project will assist the defense community in accommodating the new or expanded military missions that are assigned to the military facility. (c) If the commission determines that the project will assist the defense community in accommodating the new or expanded military missions that are assigned to the military facility, the commission shall: (1) analyze the creditworthiness of the defense community to determine the defense community's ability to repay the loan; and (2) evaluate the feasibility of the project to be financed to ensure that the defense community has pledged a source of revenue or taxes sufficient to repay the loan for the project. (d) If the commission determines that the funds will be used to finance an infrastructure project to accommodate new or expanded military missions assigned to the military facility located in, near, or adjacent to the defense community and that the project is financially feasible, the commission may award a loan to the defense community for the project. The commission shall enter into a written agreement with a defense community that is awarded a loan. The agreement must contain the terms and conditions of the loan, including the loan repayment requirements. (e) The commission shall notify the Texas Public Finance Authority of the amount of the loan and the recipient of the loan and request the authority to issue general obligation bonds in an amount necessary to fund the loan. The commission and the authority shall determine the amount and time of a bond issue to best provide funds for one or multiple loans. (f) The commission shall administer the loans to ensure full repayment of the general obligation bonds issued to finance the project. (g) A project financed with a loan under this section must be completed on or before the fifth anniversary of the date the loan is awarded. (h) The amount of a loan under this section may not exceed the total cost of the project. SECTION 4. Section 397.001(1), Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows: (1) "Defense base" means a federally owned or operated military installation or facility that is presently functioning or was closed as a result of the United States Department of Defense base realignment process. SECTION 5. Section 397.002(a), Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) A defense community that applies for financial assistance from the Texas military value revolving loan account under Section 436.153, Government Code, shall prepare, in consultation with the authorities from each defense base associated with the community, a defense base military value enhancement statement that illustrates specific ways the funds will enhance the military value of the installations and must include the following information for each project: (1) the purpose for which financial assistance is requested, including a description of the project; (2) the source of other funds for the project; (3) a statement on how the project will enhance the military value of the installation; (4) whether the defense community has coordinated the project with authorities of the military installation and whether any approval has been obtained from those authorities; (5) whether any portion of the project is to occur on the military installation; (6) whether the project will have any negative impact on the natural or cultural environment; (7) a description of any known negative factors arising from the project that will affect the community or the military installation; and (8) a description of how the project will address future base realignment or closure. SECTION 6. Chapter 397, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Section 397.0021 to read as follows: Sec. 397.0021. DEFENSE COMMUNITY ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT VALUE STATEMENT. (a) A defense community that is adjacent to a closed military installation and applies for financial assistance from the Texas military value revolving loan account shall prepare an economic redevelopment value statement that illustrates specific ways the funds will be used to promote economic development in the community and include the following information for each project: (1) the purpose for which financial assistance is requested, including a description of the project; (2) the source of other funds for the project; (3) a statement on how the project will promote economic development in the community; (4) whether any portion of the project is to occur on a closed military installation; (5) whether any approval has been obtained from those authorities retaining or receiving title to that portion of the closed installation to be affected by the project; (6) whether the project will have any negative impact on the natural or cultural environment; and (7) a description of any known negative factors arising from the project that will affect the defense community. (b) The Texas Military Preparedness Commission may require a defense community to provide any additional information the commission requires to evaluate the community's request for financial assistance under this section. (c) Two or more defense communities near the same defense base that apply for financial assistance from the Texas military value revolving loan account may prepare a joint statement. (d) A copy of the economic redevelopment value statement shall be distributed to the Texas Military Preparedness Commission and any defense community which may be affected by the resulting project. (e) This section does not prohibit a defense community that is not applying for financial assistance from preparing an economic redevelopment value statement under this section. SECTION 7. 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.