Bill Text: TX SB2136 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of a matching grant program for community development in certain municipalities and counties.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-28 - Referred to Agriculture, Water, & Rural Affairs [SB2136 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB2136-Introduced.html
| 85R13361 BEF-F | ||
| By: Lucio | S.B. No. 2136 | |
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| relating to the establishment of a matching grant program for | ||
| community development in certain municipalities and counties. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Title 2, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Chapter 23 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 23. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FOR RURAL | ||
| AND SMALL COMMUNITIES | ||
| Sec. 23.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "program" means | ||
| the community development matching grant program established under | ||
| this chapter. | ||
| Sec. 23.002. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM. | ||
| (a) Subject to the availability of federal and state funds, the | ||
| department shall create a community development matching grant | ||
| program to foster community and economic development in certain | ||
| municipalities and counties. | ||
| (b) The department shall award matching grants under the | ||
| program to assist in the financing of: | ||
| (1) trade-related initiatives and programs, as | ||
| determined by the commissioner, that will assist farmers, ranchers, | ||
| and the equine industry in eligible municipalities or counties to | ||
| develop and export their produce, products, and services to | ||
| international markets; | ||
| (2) community development projects, including basic | ||
| infrastructure projects such as water or wastewater facilities and | ||
| planning, street improvements, and drainage; | ||
| (3) capacity-building projects relating to local | ||
| public facility and housing planning activities; | ||
| (4) renewable energy projects to help participating | ||
| rural communities reduce energy costs for water and wastewater | ||
| treatment facilities; | ||
| (5) restoration projects for water or wastewater | ||
| infrastructure based on urgent need, if the infrastructure poses an | ||
| imminent threat to life or health; | ||
| (6) economic development projects to create or retain | ||
| permanent employment opportunities; | ||
| (7) economic development projects to support economic | ||
| and management development activities at the county level; | ||
| (8) environmental projects that provide assistance to | ||
| small communities for solving water or wastewater problems using | ||
| self-help methods; and | ||
| (9) other community development projects as | ||
| determined by the department with the assistance of the Texas Rural | ||
| Health and Economic Development Advisory Council. | ||
| Sec. 23.003. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES. A municipality or county is | ||
| eligible for a matching grant under this chapter if the | ||
| municipality or county is: | ||
| (1) a nonentitlement area, as defined by 42 U.S.C. | ||
| Section 5302(a)(7), under the federal community development block | ||
| grant nonentitlement program; and | ||
| (2) in good standing with the department and with the | ||
| United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. | ||
| Sec. 23.004. APPLICATIONS. Eligible municipalities or | ||
| counties may submit a single-jurisdiction application or a | ||
| multi-jurisdiction application for a matching grant under the | ||
| program for a community development project. An application must | ||
| include a description of the project proposal. | ||
| Sec. 23.005. PREFERENCE FOR MULTI-JURISDICTION | ||
| APPLICATIONS. (a) In awarding a matching grant under the program, | ||
| the department shall give preference to an application submitted | ||
| under the program by two or more eligible municipalities or | ||
| counties if the application shows that the proposed community | ||
| development project will mutually benefit the residents of the | ||
| communities applying for the funds. | ||
| (b) A multi-jurisdiction application solely for | ||
| administrative convenience may not be accepted by the department. | ||
| (c) A municipality or county that has submitted a | ||
| multi-jurisdiction application may not submit a | ||
| single-jurisdiction application for a matching grant for the same | ||
| project for which the multi-jurisdiction application was | ||
| submitted. | ||
| (d) If a matching grant is awarded under this program, one | ||
| of the municipalities or counties participating under a | ||
| multi-jurisdiction application shall be primarily accountable to | ||
| the department for financial compliance and performance | ||
| requirements under the program. All municipalities and counties | ||
| applying under a multi-jurisdiction application must meet | ||
| application threshold requirements. | ||
| Sec. 23.006. RULES. (a) The department by rule shall set | ||
| criteria for matching grant requirements and participation under | ||
| the program. | ||
| (b) The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement | ||
| this chapter. | ||
| Sec. 23.007. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires September 1, | ||
| 2023. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
