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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation and funding of the Texas Rural Job |
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Development Fund. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 481.078, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (k) to read as follows: |
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(k) The fund may be used to make one or more grants to the |
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Office of Rural Community Affairs to implement the office's powers |
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and duties relating to rural job development. Subsections (e-1), |
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(f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) do not apply to a grant under this |
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subsection. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 487, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter P to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER P. TEXAS RURAL JOB DEVELOPMENT FUND |
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Sec. 487.701. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is |
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to: |
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(1) promote rural employment opportunities, including |
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economic development projects that will stimulate job creation or |
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assist in job retention; |
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(2) foster regional collaboration for the development |
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of rural employment opportunities; |
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(3) enhance leadership capacity and civic |
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participation in rural Texas in an inclusive manner; |
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(4) facilitate wealth creation and retention in rural |
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communities to decrease long-term dependency on state and federal |
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resources; |
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(5) assist in the development of a highly skilled and |
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productive workforce in rural communities; |
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(6) assist the workers in rural areas of this state in |
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obtaining education, skills training, and labor market information |
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to enhance their employability, earnings, and standard of living; |
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and |
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(7) assist rural communities in this state by |
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providing economic incentive programs for job creation, |
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attraction, and expansion. |
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Sec. 487.702. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Development fund" means the Texas Rural Job |
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Development Fund. |
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(2) "Rural community" means a rural area as defined by |
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the office. |
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Sec. 487.703. TEXAS RURAL JOB DEVELOPMENT FUND. (a) The |
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Texas Rural Job Development Fund is an account in the general |
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revenue fund. The account is composed of: |
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(1) legislative appropriations; |
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(2) money received from the Texas Enterprise Fund |
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under Section 481.078; |
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(3) gifts, grants, donations, and matching funds |
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received under Subsection (b); and |
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(4) other money required by law to be deposited in the |
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account. |
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(b) The office may solicit and accept gifts, donations, and |
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grants of money from the federal government, local governments, |
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private corporations, or other persons to be used for the purposes |
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of this subchapter. |
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(c) Income from money in the account shall be credited to |
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the account. |
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(d) Money in the development fund may be used only for the |
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purposes of this subchapter. |
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Sec. 487.704. INCENTIVES. The office shall offer |
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incentives in the form of grants and loans to entrepreneurs and |
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businesses creating or retaining jobs in a rural community. |
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SECTION 3. The executive committee of the Office of Rural |
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Community Affairs shall adopt rules for the program under |
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Subchapter P, Chapter 487, Government Code, as added by this Act, |
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not later than March 1, 2008. |
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SECTION 4. Implementation of the program under Subchapter |
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P, Chapter 487, Government Code, as added by this Act, is contingent |
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on appropriation of funding by the legislature. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |