AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, Section 392.0331, Local Government Code, requires that a municipal housing authority with seven or more commissioners appoint to its board at least two commissioners who are tenants of a public housing project over which the authority has jurisdiction. Section 392.0331 does not provide for the appointment of a commissioner who is directly assisted by a housing authority’s housing choice voucher program.
S.B. 1716 will allow a municipal housing authority that has seven or more commissioners and serves a municipality with a population of over 2,000,000 people to appoint a recipient of the housing authority's housing voucher program to its board. S.B. 1716 will authorize the mayor of Houston to include a representative of the largest group the Houston Housing Authority serves on its board.
As proposed, S.B. 1716 amends current law relating to the appointment of commissioners of public housing authorities.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 392.031(b), Local Government Code, to authorize a tenant of a public project over which the housing authority has jurisdiction or a person who is directly assisted by a housing authority through its housing choice voucher program to be a commissioner of the municipal housing authority.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 392.0331(b), Local Government Code, to require a municipality with a population over 2,000,000 with a municipal housing authority composed of seven or more commissioners, in appointing commissioners under Section 392.031 (Appointment of Commissioners of a Municipal Housing Authority), to appoint at least two commissioners to the authority who are directly assisted by the housing authority, either as tenants of a public housing project over which the authority has jurisdiction or as recipients of housing assistance through the authority's housing choice voucher program.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 392.0331(g), Local Government Code, as follows:
(g) Prohibits a commissioner appointed under this section from participating:
(1) in any vote or discussion concerning the termination of the commissioner's occupancy rights in public housing or of the commissioner's rights to housing assistance from a housing choice voucher program or the rights of any person related to the first degree of consanguinity to the commissioner with respect to such person's occupancy rights in public housing or right to receive housing assistance from a housing choice voucher program; or
(2) Makes no change to this subdivision.
SECTION 5. Amends Section 392.0331(h), Local Government Code, as follows:
(h) Requires a majority of the other commissioners, if a commissioner appointed under this section as a tenant of a public housing project ceases to reside in a housing unit operated by the public housing authority during the commissioner's term, to decide whether to request that a new commissioner be appointed. Authorizes a majority of the commissioners to decide to allow the commissioner to serve the remaining portion of the commissioner's term. Requires a majority of the other commissioners, if a commissioner appointed under this section as a person receiving direct housing assistance from a housing choice voucher program ceases to receive such assistance, to decide whether to request that a new commissioner be appointed. Authorizes a majority of the commissioners to decide to allow the commissioner to serve the remaining portion of the commissioner's term.