Bill Text: TX HB2275 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the creation and uses of the critical infrastructure resiliency fund and the eligibility of certain water-related projects for state financial assistance.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 62-32)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-14 - Received from the House [HB2275 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB2275-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to the creation and uses of the critical infrastructure resiliency fund and the eligibility of certain water-related projects for state financial assistance.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 62-32)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-05-14 - Received from the House [HB2275 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB2275-Introduced.html
By: Zwiener | H.B. No. 2275 |
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relating to critical infrastructure resiliency and financing. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 17, Water Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter N to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER N. WATER INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY FUND | ||
Sec. 17.995. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, | ||
"infrastructure fund" means the water infrastructure resiliency | ||
fund. | ||
Sec. 17.995. WATER INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY FUND. (a) | ||
The water resilience infrastructure fund is a special fund in the | ||
state treasury outside the general revenue fund. | ||
(b) The infrastructure fund may be used by the board, | ||
without further legislative appropriation, only as provided by this | ||
subchapter. | ||
(c) The infrastructure fund consists of: | ||
(1) appropriations from the legislature for a purpose | ||
of the infrastructure fund; | ||
(2) proceeds of general obligation bonds issued for a | ||
purpose of the infrastructure fund; | ||
(3) any fees or other sources of revenue that the | ||
legislature dedicates for deposit to the infrastructure fund; | ||
(4) interest earned on money credited to the | ||
infrastructure fund; | ||
(5) depository interest allocable to the | ||
infrastructure fund; | ||
(6) money from gifts, grants, or donations to the | ||
infrastructure fund; and | ||
(7) money from revenue bonds or other sources | ||
designated by the commission for deposit to the infrastructure | ||
fund. | ||
Sec. 17.996. USE OF INFRASTRUCTURE FUND. (a) The board may | ||
use the infrastructure fund only: | ||
(1) to make a grant to an entity for weatherizing and | ||
hardening water and wastewater systems, including, but not limited | ||
to: | ||
(A) covering wells; | ||
(B) purchasing reserve power supply such as such | ||
as onsite generation and energy storage systems; and | ||
(C) building connectivity to neighboring water | ||
suppliers; | ||
(2) to pay the necessary and reasonable expenses of | ||
the board in administering the infrastructure fund. | ||
(b) In making grants under Subsection (a), the board shall | ||
consider: | ||
(1) the expected number of individuals who will | ||
benefit from the project; | ||
(2) existing infrastructure and overall need for the | ||
project; | ||
(3) the potential benefit of the project to: | ||
(A) low income communities; and | ||
(B) areas in disparate parts of the state; | ||
(4) equitable geographic distribution of grants | ||
awarded throughout the state; | ||
(5) projects that utilize distributed energy | ||
resources; | ||
(6) the existence of matching federal funds for the | ||
project and if available federal funds have been exhausted; and | ||
(7) the total effect of the project's goals. | ||
(c) Eligible entities include: | ||
(1) local government entities that provide water or | ||
wastewater services; | ||
(2) nonprofit entities that provide water or | ||
wastewater services; and | ||
(3) investor-owned entities that provide water or | ||
wastewater services. | ||
(d) Grants under this subsection require a match as follows: | ||
(1) entities under subsections (c)(1) and (c)(2) are | ||
required to provide a match of at least 10 percent with at least 5 | ||
percent of that match coming from local sources; and | ||
(2) entities under subsections (c)(3) are required to | ||
provide a match of at least 50 percent with at least 30 percent of | ||
that coming directly from the entity. | ||
Sec. 17.997. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules | ||
necessary to carry out this subchapter, including rules: | ||
(1) that establish procedures for an application for | ||
and for the award of financial assistance; | ||
(2) for the investment of money; and | ||
(3) for the administration of the infrastructure fund. | ||
SECTION 2. Chapter 418, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subchapter J to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER J. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY FUND | ||
Sec. 418.262. DEFINITION. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Infrastructure fund" means the critical | ||
infrastructure resiliency fund. | ||
(2) "Micro-grid" means a group of interconnected loads | ||
and distributed energy resources inside clearly defined electrical | ||
boundaries that act as a single controllable entity with respect to | ||
the grid. | ||
Sec. 418.263. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY FUND. (a) | ||
The critical infrastructure resiliency fund is a special fund in | ||
the state treasury outside the general revenue fund. | ||
(b) The infrastructure fund may be used by the division, | ||
without further legislative appropriation, only as provided by this | ||
subchapter. | ||
(c) The infrastructure fund consists of: | ||
(1) appropriations from the legislature for a purpose | ||
of the infrastructure fund; | ||
(2) proceeds of general obligation bonds issued for a | ||
purpose of the infrastructure fund; | ||
(3) any fees or other sources of revenue that the | ||
legislature dedicates for deposit to the infrastructure fund; | ||
(4) interest earned on money credited to the | ||
infrastructure fund; | ||
(5) depository interest allocable to the | ||
infrastructure fund; | ||
(6) money from gifts, grants, or donations to the | ||
infrastructure fund; and | ||
(7) money from revenue bonds or other sources | ||
designated by the commission for deposit to the infrastructure | ||
fund. | ||
Sec. 418.264. USE OF INFRASTRUCTURE FUND. (a) The division | ||
may use the infrastructure fund only: | ||
(1) to make a grant to an entity for the purposes | ||
described under this subchapter; and | ||
(2) to pay the necessary and reasonable expenses of | ||
the division in administering the infrastructure fund. | ||
(b) In making grants under Subsection (a), the division | ||
shall consider: | ||
(1) the expected number of individuals who will | ||
benefit from the project; | ||
(2) existing infrastructure and overall need for the | ||
project; | ||
(3) the potential benefit of the project to: | ||
(A) low income communities; and | ||
(B) areas in disparate parts of the state; | ||
(4) equitable geographic distribution of grants | ||
awarded throughout the state; | ||
(5) projects that utilize distributed energy | ||
resources; | ||
(6) the existence of matching federal funds for the | ||
project and if available federal funds have been exhausted; and | ||
(7) the total effect of the project's goals. | ||
(c) Eligible entities include: | ||
(1) municipally-owned electric utilities; | ||
(2) electric cooperatives; | ||
(3) investor-owned utilities; | ||
(4) government-owned hospitals; | ||
(5) non-profit hospitals; | ||
(6) for-profit hospitals; and | ||
(7) telecommunications providers. | ||
(d) Grants under this subsection require a match as follows: | ||
(1) entities under subsections (c)(1), (c)(2), | ||
(c)(4), and (c)(5) are required to provide a match of at least 10 | ||
percent with at least 5 percent of that match coming from local | ||
sources; and | ||
(2) entities under subsections (c)(3), (c)(6), and | ||
(c)(7) are required to provide a match of at least 50 percent with | ||
at least 30 percent of that coming directly from the entity. | ||
Sec. 418.265. ELECTRIC GRID IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT. (a) The | ||
electric grid improvement account is an account of the critical | ||
infrastructure fund. | ||
(b) The account consists of: | ||
(1) money directly appropriated to the division; and | ||
(2) money from gifts or grants from the United States | ||
government, local or regional governments, private sources, or | ||
other sources. | ||
(c) The division may use the account to provide grants for | ||
activities related to: | ||
(1) localized improvements to the electric grid and | ||
other energy systems with onsite generation including, but not | ||
limited to, smart metering; and | ||
(2) improvements at and between buildings to create | ||
micro-grids using onsite generation and energy storage. | ||
Sec. 418.266. LOCAL COMMUNICATIONS RESILIENCY ACCOUNT. (a) | ||
The local communications resiliency account is an account of the | ||
critical infrastructure fund. | ||
(b) The account consists of: | ||
(1) money directly appropriated to the division; and | ||
(2) money from gifts or grants from the United States | ||
government, local or regional governments, private sources, or | ||
other sources. | ||
(c) The division may use the account to provide grants for | ||
activities related to: | ||
(1) hardening lines of emergency communication; and | ||
(2) purchasing reserve power supply such as onsite | ||
generation and energy storage systems necessary to sustain | ||
emergency communications. | ||
Sec. 418.267. MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY ACCOUNT. | ||
(a) The medical infrastructure resiliency account is an account of | ||
the critical infrastructure fund. | ||
(b) The account consists of: | ||
(1) money directly appropriated to the division; and | ||
(3) money from gifts or grants from the United States | ||
government, local or regional governments, private sources, or | ||
other sources. | ||
(c) The division may use the account to provide grants for | ||
activities related to: | ||
(1) purchasing reserve power supply such as onsite | ||
generation and energy storage systems necessary to sustain critical | ||
medical care. | ||
Sec. 418.268. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary | ||
to carry out this subchapter, including rules: | ||
(1) that establish procedures for an application for | ||
and for the award of financial assistance; | ||
(2) for the investment of money; and | ||
(3) for the administration of the infrastructure fund. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2022, but only | ||
if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 87th Legislature, | ||
Regular Session, 2021, authorizing the legislature to provide for | ||
the creation of the modern infrastructure fund to assist in the | ||
financing of modern electric, transportation, and communications | ||
infrastructure projects is approved by the voters. If that | ||
amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect. |