BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1358

By: Campbell

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that military installations in Texas have an annual economic impact of approximately $150 billion, and they point to this significant impact in emphasizing the importance of the role of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission in an upcoming Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission study. The parties note that the commission is an office within the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office in the office of the governor and that the commission could maximize its assistance to the military community if it were more independent. S.B. 1358 seeks to enhance the ability of the commission to focus on assisting in the economic development, preservation, and growth of Texas' defense communities.

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 rulemaking authority previously granted to the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office is transferred to the Texas Military Preparedness Commission in SECTION 10 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1358 amends the Government Code to attach the Texas Military Preparedness Commission to the office of the governor for administrative purposes and removes the requirement that the commission report to the executive director of the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office (TEDTO). The bill requires the director of the commission to hire at least one full-time employee who is knowledgeable about or has experience with military installations and authorizes the director to hire other staff within the guidelines established by the commission. The bill removes the requirement that the governor determine the staff for the commission. The bill entitles a member of the military base realignment and closure task force to reimbursement for travel expenses and establishes that the task force is abolished and the statutory provisions governing the task force expire on September 1, 2019.

S.B. 1358 transfers from TEDTO to the commission certain functions relating to the provision of loans for defense community projects and also transfers from TEDTO to the commission the express authority to assist local governmental entities in obtaining certain defense-related grants made by the commission. The bill raises from $2 million to $5 million the cap on those grants. The bill transfers rulemaking authority relating to defense community loans from TEDTO to the commission and establishes that a rule, policy, procedure, or decision of TEDTO with respect to functions that are transferred to the commission under the bill's provisions continues in effect as a rule, policy, procedure, or decision of the commission until superseded by an act of the commission. The bill requires the commission to assist defense communities, in addition to TEDTO's statutorily required assistance, in obtaining financing for economic development projects that seek to address future realignment or closure of a defense base that is in, adjacent to, or near the defense community.

S.B. 1358 repeals Section 436.001(5), Government Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.