BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 2292
81R21770 EAH-D By: Lucio
International Relations & Trade
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In the wake of Hurricanes Rita, Dolly, and Ike, it has become clear that rapid, efficient, and effective programs to provide temporary and permanent housing for Texans whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by natural disasters are woefully lacking. This legislation encourages the development of a model reconstruction plan for future reconstruction efforts to increase the effective and efficient delivery of natural disaster recovery services by state agencies. Significant amounts of federal block grant funds are being made available to Texas to repair and rebuild homes damaged in the hurricanes. For future state and federal funds to be efficiently spent to address hurricanes and natural disasters, new models of building technologies and new hurricane resistant housing designs will be needed. This bill brings together experts in residential construction technologies to propose model solutions for this rebuilding. These model solutions would be made available to both the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, and to local governments working to establish new programs to rebuild damaged homes. This bill ensures that the lessons learned in Texas after the recent three hurricanes are used to redesign the future housing disaster reconstruction and rebuilding response in Texas. The advisory committee's recommendations will not be mandates, but recommendations of the best practices that local and state government may choose to adopt.
C.S.S.B. 2292 establishes a natural disaster housing reconstruction advisory committee (advisory committee) to assess the effectiveness of current temporary and permanent disaster housing programs and to propose more effective solutions. The bill requires the advisory committee to develop a natural disaster housing reconstruction plan for Texas to better address the reconstruction and rebuilding of housing damaged by a natural disaster. Additionally, the bill requires the executive director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and a natural disaster housing reconstruction advisory committee, using the natural disaster housing reconstruction plan, to develop housing reconstruction demonstration pilot programs for three areas affected by one of the three most recent federally declared natural disasters.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Provides that the purpose of this Act is to encourage the development of a model plan for future reconstruction efforts to increase the effective and efficient delivery of natural disaster recovery services by state agencies. Provides that this Act is not meant to delay or otherwise interfere with ongoing reconstruction efforts.
SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 2306, Government Code, by adding Subchapter X-2, as follows:
SUBCHAPTER X-2. NATURAL DISASTER HOUSING RECONSTRUCTION INITIATIVE
Sec. 2306.541. NATURAL DISASTER HOUSING RECONSTRUCTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) Requires the executive director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (director) to appoint a natural disaster housing reconstruction advisory committee composed of representatives from appropriate local, state, and federal entities and organizations and nonprofit organizations.
(b) Requires the advisory committee to develop a natural disaster housing reconstruction plan. Sets forth the required tasks of the advisory committee in developing this plan.
(c) Provides that Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory Committees) does not apply to the advisory committee.
Sec. 2306.542. HOUSING RECONSTRUCTION DEMONSTRATION PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the director and advisory committee, using the natural disaster housing reconstruction plan developed under this subchapter, to develop, for implementation under Subsections (b) and (c), housing reconstruction demonstration pilot programs (pilot programs) for three areas, each of which was affected by one of the three most recent federally declared natural disasters. Requires that the pilot programs provide for the replacement of at least 20 houses in each area to test the feasibility of implementing the plan in the large-scale production of replacement housing for victims of federally declared natural disasters.
(b) Requires the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) to provide to an interested council of government, county, or local, government eligible for funding for disaster recovery under the community development block grant program information regarding a pilot program developed under Subsection (a) and assistance in implementing a pilot program developed under Subsection (a).
(c) Authorizes TDHCA, at the discretion of the governing board of TDHCA (board), to implement a pilot program in any of the three most recently federally declared disaster areas in which pilot program has not been implemented by a council of government, county, or local government. Authorizes TDHCA to use any available funds to implement the pilot program.
SECTION 3. (a) Requires the director, not later than January 1, 2010, to submit the natural disaster housing reconstruction plan developed under Section 2306.541(b), Government Code, as added by this Act.
(b) Requires the director, not later than March 1, 2010, to provide housing reconstruction demonstration pilot program information to an interested council of government, county, or local government eligible for funding for disaster recovery under the community development block grants program.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2009.