Amend SB 277 (senate committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

SECTION ____.  (a) The legislature finds that:

(1)  the Texas Military Preparedness Commission has found that military installations located in this state generate $136 billion in economic activity each year and directly or indirectly contribute to the existence of almost 900,000 jobs;

(2)  military aviation facilities in this state are of vital importance to the security of this state and the nation and are an integral part of this state's economy;

(3)  the area surrounding a military aviation facility is sensitive to security concerns and requires special attention by this state;

(4)  wind-powered energy devices and wind energy are important components of this state's production of electricity; and

(5)  the United States Department of Defense uses the base realignment and closure process to reorganize the department's base structure and has used the process to close more than 350 military bases since 1988.

(b)  This Act is for the purposes of:

(1)  promoting the public health, safety, and general welfare of this state;

(2)  protecting and preserving military aviation facilities, the areas surrounding those facilities, and the aviation operations or training conducted at those facilities from any unintended consequences occurring as a result of the installation or construction of wind-powered energy devices on property located in close proximity to the boundaries of those facilities;

(3)  encouraging the development of wind farms and the installation or construction of wind-powered energy devices in this state under reasonable state regulations that recognize the importance of wind energy and take into account the need to support and protect military aviation facilities located in this state from the United States Department of Defense's base realignment and closure process;

(4)  ensuring that an owner of property on which wind-powered energy devices were constructed, or were under construction, before September 1, 2017, and that is located in close proximity to the boundaries of a military aviation facility continues to be eligible to receive tax benefits under Chapter 312 or 313, Tax Code; and

(5)  allowing an owner of property located in close proximity to the boundaries of a military aviation facility to continue to allow the installation or construction of wind-powered energy devices on that property in the event the owner elects not to seek tax benefits for that property under Chapter 312 or 313, Tax Code.

(c)  This Act may not be construed as limiting the ability of a person to receive a tax benefit under Chapter 312 or 313, Tax Code, for property that the person owns and on which a wind-powered energy device is installed or constructed other than under the conditions relating to the proximity of that property to a military aviation facility as expressly provided by this Act.