BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3716

By: Guillen

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The legislative intent of this bill is to expand public and community participation in regard to the evaluation of applications for certain financial assistance administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

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

Section 2306, Government Code, is amended by the adding the entity of public housing authority resident's councils that are within the boundaries of the proposed development site; or encompass the same public elementary school zone, or that any public housing authority resident's council with one or more members who reside or who are likely to reside at the development described in application to be included in those entities who receive and review applications for certain financial assistance administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The Committee substitute allows those communities without neighborhood organizations to compete equally for tax credit projects, and establishes a methodology where a community can either support or deny support for a project by allowing its locally elected representatives in the cities, counties or civic organizations to indicate their support allowing the project to compete equally with those applications from communities where neighborhood organizations have offered their support.