BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 616

By: Leach

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that certain applications for low income housing tax credits are evaluated in part on written statements from local state representatives of the affected areas. The parties contend that due to the number of projects and the size of many electoral districts the local state representative may not be able to meaningfully comment on such an application. H.B. 616 seeks to address this issue by revising application evaluation criteria.

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 this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 616 amends the Government Code to remove from the prioritized list of criteria used by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs in scoring and ranking an application for a low income housing tax credit allocation the level of community support for the application, evaluated on the basis of a written statement from the state representative who represents the district containing the proposed development site.

H.B. 616 repeals Section 2306.6710(f), Government Code.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.