HBA-LCA H.B. 3326 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3326 By: Gallego Urban Affairs 4/19/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (department) allocates federal Community Development Block Grant funds on a regional basis to ensure their equitable distribution throughout the state. Funds from state housing-finance programs, however, are not distributed under the same guidelines, which may cause a discrepancies in the of distribution of funds to different areas of the state. H.B. 3326 amends Chapter 2306, Government Code, to require the department to use a formula for calculating its housing-finance funds according to the proportion of households in a region that need assistance. Regions, under this section, are state planning regions established by the governor under the Local Government Code. 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 Subchapter A, Chapter 2306, Government Code, by adding Section 2306.0021, as follows: Sec. 2306.0021. HOUSING ASSISTANCE ALLOCATION. Requires the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (department) to allocate funds for a program administered by the housing finance division under this chapter (Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs) to each geographic state planning region (region) established by the governor under Chapter 391, Local Government Code ( Regional Planning Commissions). Requires the department to develop and use a formula that is based on the proportion of households in each region that are in need of assistance. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.