BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1929

By: Rose

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law authorizes the commissioners court of a county with a population of 3.3 million or more to pay out of the county general funds costs and expenses for the transportation of senior citizens for civic, community, educational, and recreational activities within and outside the county. Interested parties contend that it would be beneficial to lower the population bracket to expand such authority to another county, such as Dallas County which has a sizable senior citizen population. The parties further contend that the law should include language that would provide for the transportation of other persons, such as nurses and caregivers, because some senior citizens are not able to leave their homes or nursing facilities without being accompanied by such a person. H.B. 1929 seeks to address these issues.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 1929 amends the Local Government Code to decrease from 3.3 million to 2.2 million the minimum population threshold of a county the commissioners court of which is authorized to pay out of the county general funds costs and expenses for the transportation of certain persons for civic, community, educational, and recreational activities within and outside the county. The bill replaces the transportation of senior citizens with the transportation of county residents and visitors as the purpose for which such payment may be made and makes the commissioners court's authority contingent on a majority of the costs and expenses being paid for the transportation of senior citizens.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.