BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 807

By: Gallego

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, under certain provisions of the Local Government Code relating to eligibility of a county with no incorporated territory to participate in municipal assistance programs, only certain counties that have the power to enact ordinances are eligible as if they were a municipality for the purpose of participating in any federal or state program that provides grants, loans, or other assistance to municipalities. This makes it hard for certain census designated places throughout Texas to apply for grants and funding for municipal entities.

H.B. 807 allows any county that contains no incorporated territory of a municipality to be eligible to apply on behalf of locations in the county that are census designated places as if the places were municipalities for the purpose of participating in any federal or state program that provides grants, loans, or other assistance to municipalities.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 807 amends the Local Government Code to make a county that contains no incorporated territory of a municipality eligible to apply on behalf of locations in the county that are census designated places as if the places were municipalities for the purpose of participating in any federal or state program that provides grants, loans, or other assistance to municipalities. The bill removes the condition that only a county with a population of more than 5,000 that is located within 100 miles of an international boundary may participate in such a program and removes a county's eligibility to apply as if it were a municipality.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.