BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1029

By: Bonnen, Greg

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 77th and 78th Texas Legislatures created the Professional Educators Home Loan Program and the Fire Fighter, Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and Emergency Medical Services Personnel Home Loan Program, respectively. The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation is responsible for the administration and operation of the home loan programs, without any state appropriated funding, to assist working Texas families in achieving the goal of homeownership.

H.B. 1029 seeks to extend and bring efficiency to these efforts by eliminating the end date for the program and creating a single program for all eligible occupations under the current programs, to be named the Homes for Texas Heroes home loan program.

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. 1029 amends the Government Code to repeal a provision providing for the expiration of the fire fighter, law enforcement or security officer, and emergency medical services personnel home loan program, to continue the program and rename it as the Homes for Texas Heroes home loan program, and to add a professional educator to the persons eligible for a loan under the program. The bill requires the professional educator, at the time the person files an application for the loan, to be employed by a school district or be an allied health or professional nursing program faculty member in Texas. The bill defines "professional educator" as a classroom teacher, full-time paid teacher's aide, full-time librarian, full-time certified counselor, full-time school nurse, or allied health or professional nursing program faculty member.

H.B. 1029, in a provision authorizing the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation to solicit and accept funding for the program from certain sources in addition to certain funds set aside for the program, specifies that the funds set aside for the program are from the portion of state ceiling dedicated to the corporation for the purpose of issuing qualified mortgage bonds, rather than being from the portion of state ceiling dedicated to the fire fighter, law enforcement or security officer, and emergency medical services personnel home loan program. The bill makes certain statutory provisions governing the reallocation of state ceiling on the failure of certain bonds to qualify as tax-exempt obligations not applicable to qualified mortgage bonds or qualified rental project bonds made available to the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation.

H.B. 1029 repeals the following provisions of the Government Code:

· Section 1372.0221

· Section 1372.0222

· Section 2306.5621(i)

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.