85R1853 TJB-D
 
  By: Murphy H.B. No. 386
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the requirements regarding creation of qualifying jobs
  for the purpose of eligibility for a limitation on appraised value
  of property for ad valorem tax purposes under the Texas Economic
  Development Act.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 313.021, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subdivisions (3) and (5) and adding Subdivision (6) to
  read as follows:
               (3)  "Qualifying job" means a permanent full-time job
  that:
                     (A)  requires at least 1,600 hours of work a year;
                     (B)  is not transferred from one area in this
  state to another area in this state, unless the transfer represents
  a net new job in this state;
                     (C)  is not created to replace a previous
  employee;
                     (D)  is covered by a group health benefit plan for
  which the business offers to pay at least 80 percent of the premiums
  or other charges assessed for employee-only coverage under the
  plan, regardless of whether an employee may voluntarily waive the
  coverage; and
                     (E)  pays at least 110 percent of the lesser of:
                           (i)  the state median annual wage for
  manufacturing jobs in the state; or
                           (ii)  the county average annual [weekly]
  wage for manufacturing jobs in the county where the job is located.
                     (F)  In determining whether a property owner has
  created the number of qualifying jobs required under this chapter,
  operations, services and other related jobs created in connection
  with the project, including those employed by third parties under
  contract, may satisfy the minimum qualifying jobs requirement for
  the project if the Texas Workforce Commission determines that the
  cumulative economic benefits to the state of these jobs is the same
  or greater than that associated with the minimum number of
  qualified jobs required to be created under this chapter.  The
  Texas Workforce Commission shall [may] adopt rules to implement
  this subsection.
               (5)  "County average annual [weekly] wage for
  manufacturing jobs" and "county average annual wage for all jobs"
  mean [means]:
                     (A)  the average weekly wage in a county for
  manufacturing jobs or for all jobs, as applicable, during the most
  recent four quarterly periods for which data is available at the
  time a person submits an application for a limitation on appraised
  value under this subchapter, as computed by the Texas Workforce
  Commission, multiplied by 52; or
                     (B)  the average weekly wage for manufacturing
  jobs or for all jobs, as applicable, in the region designated for
  the regional planning commission, council of governments, or
  similar regional planning agency created under Chapter 391, Local
  Government Code, in which the county is located during the most
  recent four quarterly periods for which data is available at the
  time a person submits an application for a limitation on appraised
  value under this subchapter, as computed by the Texas Workforce
  Commission, multiplied by 52.
               (6)  "State median annual wage for manufacturing jobs"
  and "state median annual wage for all jobs" mean the median annual
  wage in the state for manufacturing jobs or for all jobs, as
  applicable, during the most recent period for which data is
  available at the time a person submits an application for a
  limitation on appraised value under this subchapter, as computed by
  the Texas Workforce Commission.
         SECTION 2.  Section 313.024(d), Tax Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         (d)  To be eligible for a limitation on appraised value under
  this subchapter, the property owner must create the required number
  of new qualifying jobs as defined by Section 313.021(3) and the
  average annual [weekly] wage for all jobs created by the owner that
  are not qualifying jobs must exceed the lesser of:
               (1)  the state median annual wage for all jobs in the
  state; or
               (2)  the county average annual [weekly] wage for all
  jobs in the county where the jobs are located.
         SECTION 3.  Section 313.032(c), Tax Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         (c)  The portion of the report described by Subsection (a)(2)
  must be based on data certified to the comptroller by each recipient
  or former recipient of a limitation on appraised value under this
  chapter. The comptroller shall verify the data on which the portion
  of the report described by Subsections (a)(2)(A), (B), and (C) is
  based using information from the Texas Workforce Commission, the
  chief appraiser of the applicable appraisal district, or other
  sources the comptroller considers reliable.
         SECTION 4.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the Texas Workforce Commission shall adopt rules to
  implement Section 313.021(3)(F), Tax Code, as amended by this Act.
         SECTION 5.  Sections 313.021 and 313.024, Tax Code, as
  amended by this Act, apply only to an agreement entered into under
  Chapter 313, Tax Code, on or after the effective date of this Act.
  An agreement entered into under that chapter before the effective
  date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the
  agreement was entered into, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.