HBA-DMD S.B. 930 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 930
By: Madla
State, Federal, & International Relations
4/25/1999
Engrossed


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, only cities or counties are authorized to apply for grant
funding under the Defense Readjustment Grant Program, in order to assist
their communities facing realignment or closure of military installations.
S.B. 930 authorizes certain educational institutions in adversely affected
defense-dependent communities to apply for grant assistance from the
Defense Readjustment Grant Program. This bill authorizes an eligible local
governmental entity to use the proceeds of the grant to purchase or lease
equipment to train defense workers whose jobs have been threatened or lost
because of a defense facility closure or realignment. 

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 486.003, Government Code, to provide that public
junior colleges, all or part of which are located in an adversely affected
defense-dependent community or campuses or extension centers for education
purposes of the Texas State Technical College System located in an
adversely affected defense-dependent community, are eligible for a grant
under this chapter. Describes an adversely affected defense-dependent
community as an area whose boundaries include a defense facility that the
department of defense or applicable military department has publicly
proposed for closure or realignment. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive
changes. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 486.004, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(d), to authorize the Texas Department of Commerce to make grants to
eligible governmental entities without regard to matching funds. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 486.005, Government Code, by adding Subsection
(c), to authorize an eligible local governmental entity to use the proceeds
of the grant to purchase or lease equipment to train defense workers whose
jobs have been threatened or lost because of a defense facility closure or
realignment. 

SECTION 4.Emergency clause.
  Effective date:  upon passage.