BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1918

By: Darby

Agriculture & Livestock

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Office of Rural Community Affairs was created by 2001 by the 77th Legislature, Regular Session. Since the agency’s creation, there has been confusion among other state agencies and members of the public regarding the agency’s role. The most frequent assumption is that the office is a private nonprofit corporation rather than a state agency.

H.B. 1918 would bring clarity to the agency’s role by changing the name to the Texas Department of Rural Affairs.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority previously granted to the Office of Rural Community Affairs is transferred to the renamed Texas Department of Rural Affairs in SECTIONS 20, 32, 33, 47, 49, 53, 55, 56, 59, 72, and 100 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1918 amends the Government Code to change the name of the Office of Rural Community Affairs to the Texas Department of Rural Affairs and makes conforming changes as well as certain technical corrections in that code and in the Agriculture Code, Education Code, Health and Safety Code, and Occupations Code. The bill provides that a reference in another law or administrative rule to the Office of Rural Community Affairs means the Texas Department of Rural Affairs.

H.B. 1918 reenacts and amends Section 487.051, Government Code,  as amended by Chapters 560 (S.B. 1440) and 1241 (H.B. 2542), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, to make conforming and technical changes.

H.B. 1918 reletters Subchapter P, Chapter 487, Government Code, as added by Chapter 712, (H.B. 2235), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, as Subchapter Q, Chapter 487, Government Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.