Bill Text: TX SB2183 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of a task force to analyze the provision of financial assistance from the flood infrastructure fund for the improvement of artificial drainage systems in certain coastal and border regions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-22 - Referred to Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs [SB2183 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB2183-Introduced.html
88R14102 JAM-D | ||
By: LaMantia | S.B. No. 2183 |
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relating to the establishment of a task force to analyze the | ||
provision of financial assistance from the flood infrastructure | ||
fund for the improvement of artificial drainage systems in certain | ||
coastal and border regions. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this section: | ||
(1) "Board" means the Texas Water Development Board. | ||
(2) "Fund" means the flood infrastructure fund | ||
established under Section 15.533, Water Code. | ||
(3) "Task force" means the artificial drainage systems | ||
task force. | ||
SECTION 2. TASK FORCE. (a) The artificial drainage systems | ||
task force is established to identify inadequacies in and suggest | ||
improvements for the provision of financial assistance for | ||
artificial drainage systems to communities and drainage districts | ||
in coastal and border regions of this state that lack topographic | ||
relief, slope, and naturally defined floodways. | ||
(b) The task force is composed of: | ||
(1) an equal number of members of the house of | ||
representatives and members of the senate with the members of the | ||
house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house and | ||
the members of the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor; | ||
(2) individuals to represent the interests of drainage | ||
districts, municipalities, and counties located in coastal and | ||
border regions, appointed in equal numbers by the speaker of the | ||
house of representatives and the lieutenant governor; and | ||
(3) representatives of the board, appointed by the | ||
executive administrator of the board. | ||
(c) The task force shall analyze the requirements | ||
associated with the provision of financial assistance from the fund | ||
and identify possible changes to those requirements that would | ||
facilitate the improvement of artificial drainage systems in | ||
coastal and border regions, including: | ||
(1) alterations to the scoring criteria used to | ||
determine the eligibility for and the amount of loans and grants | ||
provided from the fund, such as: | ||
(A) the inclusion of scoring criteria that | ||
prioritize improvements to an artificial drainage system; or | ||
(B) scoring criteria to be used for communities | ||
with artificial drainage systems that are based on a social | ||
vulnerability index instead of income levels; and | ||
(2) the feasibility of: | ||
(A) providing no-interest loans for improvements | ||
to an artificial drainage system; | ||
(B) introducing a loan forgiveness program for | ||
political subdivisions with outstanding loans from the fund; | ||
(C) increasing grant funding from the fund for | ||
communities with artificial drainage systems; or | ||
(D) revising the income levels used to determine | ||
the eligibility for or the amount of a grant or loan from the fund | ||
for communities with artificial drainage systems. | ||
(d) The task force shall hold public hearings in coastal and | ||
border regions of this state, including hearings in El Paso, the Rio | ||
Grande Valley, and Corpus Christi. | ||
SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 21, 2024, the | ||
task force shall prepare and submit to the board, the speaker of the | ||
house of representatives, the lieutenant governor, and the governor | ||
a report that includes recommendations identified by the task | ||
force. | ||
SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. The task force is abolished and this | ||
Act expires January 1, 2025. | ||
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September | ||
1, 2023. |