By: Eltife, Nelson S.B. No. 2004

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to deferred maintenance for state facilities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. (a) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives shall each appoint three members to a Joint Oversight Committee on Government Facilities. The members of the committee shall elect a chair.

(b) If this act become effective immediately, the lieutenant governor and speaker shall make the appointments not later than July 1, 2015. If this act becomes effective September 1, 2015, the lieutenant governor and speaker shall make the appointments not later than September 15, 2015.

(c) The committee established under this section may meet to review deferred maintenance plans and to receive implementation updates.

(d) The committee shall provide a biannual written status report to the legislature which includes the amount of money appropriated from the deferred maintenance fund, the deferred maintenance projects to be completed through appropriations of the fund, and the status of ongoing and completed projects.

(e) The committee established under this section may exercise any powers of a joint committee. The cost of operation of the committee may be borne in the same manner as the cost of a joint committee. The Texas Legislative Council may provide funding for the operations of the committees. To the extent not inconsistent with this resolution, the joint rules adopted by the 84th Legislature for the administration of joint interim legislative study committees apply to the committee established under this section.

(f) This section expires January 8, 2021.

SECTION 2. Chapter 2165, Government Code, is amending by adding Subchapter I to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER I. DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FUND

Sec. 2165.401. PURPOSE; INTENT. It is the intent of the legislature that state facilities be brought into a better state of repair to ensure the safety of employees and visitors, the efficiency of building operations and a long-term reduction in repair costs by addressing deferred maintenance needs. Funds under this subchapter are intended to fund projects to this purpose.

Sec. 2165.402. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "fund" means the deferred maintenance fund.

Sec. 2165.403. DEFERRED MAINTENANCE FUND ACCOUNT. (a) The deferred maintenance fund is an account in the general revenue fund. (b) The fund consists of money credited, appropriated, or transferred to the fund at the direction of the legislature.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.