By: Menendez, Cook of Colorado, Chisum Senate Sponsor-West H.B. No. 2063

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 14, 2007; May 15, 2007, read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental Relations; May 19, 2007, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 3, Nays 0; May 19, 2007, sent to printer.)

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2063 By: Nichols

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the allocation of certain housing funds by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and to the information used to determine the allocation of those funds.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2306.111(c), Government code, as amended by Chapters 1367 and 1448, Acts of the 77th Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(c) In administering federal housing funds provided to the state under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. Section 12701 et seq.), the department shall expend:

(1) [at least] 95 percent of these funds for the benefit of non-participating small cities and rural areas that do not qualify to receive funds under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act directly from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and

(2) five percent of these[.All] funds [not set aside under this subsection shall be used] for the benefit of persons with disabilities who live in any area of this state [areas other than non-participating areas].

SECTION 2. Section 2306.111, Government Code, is amended by amending Subsections (d-1):

(d-1) Funds or credits are not required to be allocated according to the regional allocation formula under Subsection (d) if:

(1) the funds or credits are reserved for contract-for-deed conversions or for set-asides mandated by state or federal law; and

(2) each contract-for-deed allocation or set-aside allocation equals not more than 10 percent of the total allocation of funds or credits for the applicable program;

(3) the funds or credits are allocated by the department primarily to serve persons with disabilities.

SECTION 3. It is the intent of the legislature that the passage by the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, of another bill that amends Chapter 2306, Government Code, and the amendments made by this Act shall be harmonized, if possible, as provided by Section 311.025(b), Government Code, so that effect may be given to each. If the amendments made by this Act to Chapter 2306, Government Code, and the amendments made to Chapter 2306, Government Code, by any other bill are irreconcilable, it is the intent of the legislature that this Act prevail, regardless of the relative dates of enactment of this Act and the other bill or bills, but only to the extent that any differences are irreconcilable.

SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act relating to the evaluation of applications for financial assistance administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs apply only to an application submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. An application submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the application was submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.

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