HBA-CMT, CCH, JEK C.S.H.B. 829 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 829 By: Hill Urban Affairs 4/10/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, state programs associated with colonias apply only to the border region of Texas. However, areas that could be defined as colonias exist throughout Texas, including areas in Harris and Dallas counties. C.S.H.B. 829 defines "nonborder colonia" to encompass areas in Texas that are not near the Texas border, and adds nonborder colonias to certain provisions relating to financial aid for areas lacking water and wastewater services. 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. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 829 amends the Water and Government codes to define "nonborder colonia." The bill provides that the Uniform Grant and Contract Management Act does not apply to a contract relating to an economically distressed area or nonborder colonia. The bill authorizes the water loan assistance fund to also be used by the Texas Water Development Board (board) to provide loans for projects that include supplying water and wastewater services in nonborder colonias as provided by legislative appropriations, the provisions of the Texas water assistance program, and board rules. The bill provides that in passing on an application for financial assistance to a nonborder colonia from the water loan assistance fund, the board is required to consider the regulatory efforts by the county in which the colonia is located to control the construction of subdivisions lacking basic utilities. The bill authorizes the agency acting as the colonia initiatives coordinator to work with the other agencies and local officials involved in colonia projects in the state to coordinate state outreach efforts to nonborder colonias and to political subdivisions capable of providing water and wastewater services to nonborder colonias. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 829 modifies the original by providing a definition of "nonborder colonia" to the Water and Government codes whereas the original modified the definition of "colonia" in the Government Code. The substitute adds the authorization for the water loan assistance fund is to be used by the Texas Water Development Board (board) to provide loans for projects that include supplying water and wastewater services in nonborder colonias. The substitute adds provisions relating to consideration of an application for financial assistance to a nonborder colonia from the water loan assistance fund. The substitute authorizes the colonia initiatives coordinator to work with the other agencies and local officials involved in colonia projects in the state to coordinate state outreach efforts to nonborder colonias and to political subdivisions capable of providing water and wastewater services to nonborder colonias. The substitute modifies the effective date of the bill.