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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to encouraging technology-related economic development |
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projects that pay competitive compensation for associated |
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workforce. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 313.021, Tax Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (3) to read as follows: |
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(3) "Qualifying job" means a permanent full-time job |
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that: |
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(A) requires at least 1,600 hours of work a year; |
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(B) is not transferred from one area in this |
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state to another area in this state; |
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(C) is not created to replace a previous |
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employee; |
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(D) is covered by a group health benefit plan, as |
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defined by Section 481.151, Government Code, for which the business |
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offers to pay at least 80 percent of the premiums or other charges |
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assessed for employee-only coverage under the plan, regardless of |
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whether an employee may voluntarily waive the coverage; and |
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(E) pays the lesser of an average annual wage of |
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$50,000 or at least 110 percent of the county average weekly wage |
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for manufacturing jobs in the county where the job is located. |
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SECTION 2. Section 313.021, Tax Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (5) to read as follows: |
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(5) "County average weekly wage for manufacturing |
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jobs" means the average weekly wage in a county for manufacturing |
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jobs as computed by the Texas Workforce Commission. |
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SECTION 3. Section 313.024, Tax Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) to read as follows: |
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(b) To be eligible for a limitation on appraised value under |
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this subchapter, the entity must use the property in connection |
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with: |
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(1) manufacturing; |
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(2) research and development; |
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(3) a clean coal project, as defined by Section 5.001, |
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Water Code; |
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(4) an advanced clean energy project, as defined by |
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Section 382.003, Health and Safety Code; |
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(5) renewable energy electric generation; |
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(6) electric power generation using integrated |
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gasification combined cycle technology; [or] |
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(7) nuclear electric power generation[.]; |
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(8) computer operations facilities; or |
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(9) regional, national, or global corporation |
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headquarter operations. |
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SECTION 4. Section 313.024, Tax Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(5) "Computer operations facilities" means locations |
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engaged in computational processing and information storage. |
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(6) "Headquarter" means a location that serves as the |
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regional, national, or global administrative center of the business |
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and at which are located the offices of the management officials |
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responsible for key business-wide functions, including finance, |
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legal marketing, and human resource functions. |
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SECTION 5. Section 313.029, Tax Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |