86R20756 AAF-D

By: Guillen H.B. No. 2952

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2952:

By: Burns C.S.H.B. No. 2952

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of an emergency radio infrastructure revolving loan program.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter N, Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 411.4015 to read as follows:

Sec. 411.4015. LOANS TO FINANCE INTEROPERABLE STATEWIDE EMERGENCY RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE. (a) The office of the governor shall provide loans to finance interoperable statewide emergency radio infrastructure in accordance with Section 411.402.

(b) The office of the governor shall determine the terms under which a loan may be made under this section and shall set the interest rate for a loan at a low rate that the office determines is sufficient to recover the cost of administering the loan program.

(c) Payments on loans made under this section shall be made to the office of the governor. The office shall use the repayments of loan principal by entities described by Section 411.402(a)(4) to make new loans as provided by this subchapter.

(d) The office of the governor may make a forgivable loan at a zero percent interest rate for a period of five years to an entity described by Section 411.402(a)(4). The office may not forgive an amount greater than one-fifth of the forgivable loan amount each year.

(e) The office of the governor shall adopt rules to administer this section.

SECTION 2. Section 411.402, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 411.402. USE OF LOAN [REVENUE]. (a) A loan provided under Section 411.4015 [Fees collected under Section 133.102(e)(11), Local Government Code,] may only:

(1) be used for the planning, development, provision, enhancement, or ongoing maintenance of an interoperable statewide emergency radio infrastructure;

(2) be used in accordance with the statewide integrated public safety radio communications plan developed under Subchapter F, Chapter 421;

(3) be used for the development of a regional or state interoperable radio communication system;

(4) be made [distributed as grants by the department] to:

(A) regional councils of government that have entered into interlocal agreements authorized under state law; and

(B) state agencies requiring emergency radio infrastructure; or

(5) be used for other public safety purposes.

(b) A loan provided under Section 411.4015 [Fees collected and distributed as provided by this subchapter] may not be used to purchase or maintain radio subscriber equipment.

SECTION 3. The heading to Section 411.403, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 411.403. EMERGENCY RADIO INFRASTRUCTURE REVOLVING LOAN ACCOUNT.

SECTION 4. Sections 411.403(a), (b), and (c), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The emergency radio infrastructure revolving loan account is an account in the general revenue fund.

(b) The account consists of:

(1) fees deposited in the account as provided by Section 133.102(e)(9) [133.102(e)(11)], Local Government Code;

(2) payments on loans made under Section 411.4015; and

(3) [(2)] notwithstanding Section 404.071, all interest attributable to money held in the account.

(c) Money in the account may be used only for loans made under this subchapter [appropriated to the department for the purposes described by Section 411.402].

SECTION 5. Section 133.102(e), Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(e) The comptroller shall allocate the court costs received under this section to the following accounts and funds so that each receives to the extent practicable, utilizing historical data as applicable, the same amount of money the account or fund would have received if the court costs for the accounts and funds had been collected and reported separately, except that the account or fund may not receive less than the following percentages:

(1) crime stoppers assistance0.2581 percent;

(2) breath alcohol testing0.5507 percent;

(3) Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute2.1683 percent;

(4) law enforcement officers standards and education5.0034 percent;

(5) law enforcement and custodial officer supplemental retirement fund11.1426 percent;

(6) criminal justice planning12.5537 percent;

(7) an account in the state treasury to be used only for the establishment and operation of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Juvenile Crime and Delinquency at Prairie View A&M University1.2090 percent;

(8) compensation to victims of crime fund 37.6338 percent;

(9) emergency radio infrastructure revolving loan account5.5904 percent;

(10) judicial and court personnel training fund 4.8362 percent;

(11) an account in the state treasury to be used for the establishment and operation of the Correctional Management Institute of Texas and Criminal Justice Center Account 1.2090 percent; and

(12) fair defense account17.8448 percent.

SECTION 6. On the effective date of this Act, all money in the emergency radio infrastructure account is transferred to the emergency radio infrastructure revolving loan account under Section 411.403, Government Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.