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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to money used by certain counties for the low-income |
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vehicle repair assistance, retrofit, and accelerated vehicle |
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retirement program and local initiative air quality projects. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 403.071(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) A claim may not be paid from an appropriation unless the |
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claim is presented to the comptroller for payment not later than two |
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years after the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation |
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was made. However, a claim may be presented not later than four |
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years after the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation |
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from which the claim is to be paid was made if the appropriation |
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relates to new construction contracts, to funding for a local |
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initiative project described by Section 382.220 or 382.221, Health |
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and Safety Code, that involves construction in a county described |
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by Section 382.221, Health and Safety Code, to grants awarded under |
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Chapter 391, Health and Safety Code, or to repair and remodeling |
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projects that exceed the amount of $20,000, including furniture and |
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other equipment, architects' and engineering fees, and other costs |
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related to the contracts or projects. |
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SECTION 2. Section 382.202(g), Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(g) The commission shall: |
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(1) use part of the fee collected under Subsection (e) |
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to fund low-income vehicle repair assistance, retrofit, and |
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accelerated vehicle retirement programs created under Section |
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382.209; and |
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(2) to the extent practicable, distribute available |
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funding created under Subsection (e) among [to] participating |
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counties: |
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(A) in reasonable proportion to the amount of |
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fees collected under Subsection (e) in those counties or in the |
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regions in which those counties are located; and |
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(B) so that a county with a population of at least |
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four million receives 90 percent of the revenue derived from fees |
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collected in the county. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter G, Chapter 382, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 382.221 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 382.221. LOW-INCOME VEHICLE REPAIR ASSISTANCE, |
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RETROFIT, AND ACCELERATED VEHICLE RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND LOCAL |
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INITIATIVE PROJECTS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section applies |
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only to a county with a population of at least four million that |
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participates in the low-income vehicle repair assistance, |
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retrofit, and accelerated vehicle retirement program created under |
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Section 382.209. |
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(b) To the extent that this section is inconsistent or in |
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conflict with another provision of this subchapter, this section |
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prevails. |
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(c) A project a county implements under Section 382.220 may |
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include a program to enhance transportation system improvements, |
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including improvements meant to reduce congestion on existing |
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roads, but not including toll projects. |
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(d) A county may use fees collected under Sections 382.202 |
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and 382.302 for a program or project described by Section 382.220 or |
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this section. A county that receives money under Section 382.220 or |
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this section: |
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(1) is not required to provide matching funds for a |
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program or project; and |
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(2) may allocate money to a program or project under |
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Section 382.209, Section 382.220, or this section at the discretion |
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of the county. |
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(e) Money used by a county to implement a program or project |
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under Section 382.220 or this section that involves construction |
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for a fiscal year may be distributed to the county to be used for the |
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program or project in subsequent fiscal years if the money has been |
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made available to the county and has been treated as a binding |
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encumbrance by the commission before the end of the appropriation |
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year of the money appropriated for those purposes. Distribution of |
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the money is subject to Section 403.071, Government Code. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |