HBA-MPA C.S.H.B. 2693 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2693
By: Hope
County Affairs
4/16/1999
Committee Report (Substituted)






BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the East Montgomery County Improvement District is a municipal
management district created to promote economic development and enhance the
public welfare in the eastern area of Montgomery County, and includes
approximately 99 square miles consisting of undeveloped land, small cities
and rural areas.  C.S.H.B. 2693 expands the powers of the district to
authorize contracts for the lease, operation, and management of improvement
projects and expand the district's ability to issue bonds. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 16, Chapter 1316, Acts of the 75th Legislature,
Regular Session, 1997, by adding Subsection (d), to provide that the East
Montgomery County Improvement District (district) has the economic
development powers and authority conferred on  a home-rule municipality
with a population of more than 100,000 as provided by Chapter 380
(Miscellaneous Provisions Relating to Municipal Planning and Development),
Local Government Code, and by Article 835s (Acquisition of Land and
Facilities for Lease to Public or Private Entities), V.T.C.S. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 1316, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular
Session, 1997, by adding Section 30A, as follows: 

Sec. 30A.  BONDS.  (a) Authorizes the board of directors of the district to
issue bonds as provided by Subchapter J (Bonds), Chapter 375, Local
Government Code. 

(b) Authorizes the bonds issued by the district to be secured and made
payable wholly or partly, by a pledge of any part of the proceeds the
district receives from a specified portion of not more than one-half of the
maximum sales and use tax amount authorized and approved by voter of the
district under Section 22 (Tax Election Procedures) of this chapter, and
repayments the district receives from a municipality because of a required
reduction of the district's sales and use tax. 

(c) Provides that Sections 375.207 (Municipal Approval) and 375.208
(Commission Approval), Local Government Code, do not apply to bonds issued
under this section. 

SECTION 3.  Repealer:  Sections 29 (Application of Certain Tax Proceeds)
and 30 (Limitation on Indebtedness), Chapter 1316, Acts of the 75th
Legislature, Regular Session, 1997. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.
 
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2693 differs from the original bill in SECTION 1 by adding to
proposed Subsection (d) the phrase "economic development powers and
authority conferred on" before "a home rule municipality."  The substitute
also reorganizes the subsection for purposes of clarification and to
conform to legislative council format.