Cortez Housing Bill’s 90-Day Path Skips Smaller Places

The text as introduced · 497 words

89R3768 JG-F

By: Cortez
H.B. No. 627

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the requirements for applications for low income

housing tax credits for certain developments financed through the

private activity bond program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2306.67071, Government Code, is amended

by amending Subsections (b), (c), and (d) and adding Subsection (e)

to read as follows:

(b) A county with a population of 1.2 million or more or a

municipality with a population of 600,000 or more , as applicable,

shall hold a hearing at which public comment may be made on the

application.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (e), the [ The ] board

may not approve an application for housing tax credits for

developments financed through the private activity bond program

unless the applicant has submitted to the department a certified

copy of a resolution from each applicable governing body described

by Subsection (a). The resolution must certify that:

(1) notice has been provided to each governing body as

required by Subsection (a);

(2) each governing body has had sufficient opportunity

to obtain complete responses [ a response ] from the applicant

regarding any questions or concerns about the proposed development;

(3) for a county or municipality described by

Subsection (b), the [ each ] governing body of the county or

municipality has held a hearing under that subsection [ Subsection

(b) ]; and

(4) after due consideration of the information

provided by the applicant and public comment, the governing body

does not object to the proposed application.

(d) Except as provided by Subsection (e), the [ The ]

department by rule may provide for the time and manner of the

submission to the department of a resolution required by Subsection

(c).

(e) The board may approve an application for housing tax

credits for developments financed through the private activity bond

program that will be located in a county or municipality described

by Subsection (b) if, before the 90th day after the date on which

all applicable governing bodies received notice of the application

under Subsection (a), the governing body does not:

(1) hold a hearing as required by Subsection (b); and

(2) pass a resolution described by Subsection (c) or

otherwise object to the application through an official decree.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to an application for low income housing tax credits that is

submitted to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

during an application cycle that is based on the 2026 qualified

allocation plan or a subsequent plan adopted by the governing board

of the department. An application that is submitted during an

application cycle that is based on an earlier qualified allocation

plan is governed by the law in effect on the date the application

cycle began, and the former law is continued in effect for that

purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.