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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a down payment assistance grant |
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program for veterans purchasing manufactured homes and the |
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dedication of certain sales and use tax revenue to finance that |
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program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 162, Natural Resources |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 162.0105 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 162.0105. DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. (a) |
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In this section, "manufactured home" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 1201.003, Occupations Code. |
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(b) Using money from the manufactured home grant fund |
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established under Subsection (f), the board shall award to eligible |
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veterans grants to be used as down payment assistance for the |
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purchase of new manufactured homes. |
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(c) The board may award a grant under this section only in |
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accordance with a contract between the commission and a grant |
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recipient. The contract must include provisions under which the |
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board is granted sufficient control to ensure the public purpose of |
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providing affordable housing to veterans is accomplished and the |
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state receives the return benefit. |
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(d) To be eligible for a grant under this section, a person |
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must be a veteran at the time the person applies for the grant. If |
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an eligible veteran dies after filing an application, the surviving |
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spouse may complete the transaction. |
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(e) A manufactured home for which a grant is awarded under |
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this section may not be leased, transferred, sold, or conveyed in |
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whole or in part until the original veteran purchaser has occupied |
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the home as the veteran's principal residence for a period of three |
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years following the date of the purchase of the home and complied |
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with the terms and conditions of this section and the rules of the |
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board. After the three-year period, a home may be transferred, |
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sold, or conveyed if the terms and conditions of this section and |
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rules of the board have been met and the approval of the board has |
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been obtained. The board may waive the time limitation of this |
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subsection at any time the board considers a waiver to be in the |
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best interest of the grant program, including on the death, |
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bankruptcy, financial incapacity, or divorce of the veteran and |
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including when the veteran is forced to move due to a change in |
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employment or because the veteran's home is condemned through no |
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fault of the veteran. If the time limitation requirement of this |
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subsection is not met and the board does not waive the time |
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limitation as provided in this subsection, the board may provide in |
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its rules for the repayment of the grant or any other remedy as the |
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board considers appropriate. |
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(f) The manufactured home grant fund is established as a |
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special fund in the state treasury outside the general revenue |
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fund. The board shall administer the fund. The board may use money |
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in the fund only for the purposes of awarding grants under this |
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section and for paying the reasonable expenses of managing the fund |
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and its assets. The fund consists of: |
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(1) money transferred by the comptroller to the fund |
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under Section 158.059, Tax Code; |
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(2) money the legislature appropriates, credits, or |
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transfers to the fund; |
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(3) gifts and grants, including grants from the |
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federal government, and other donations received for the fund; and |
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(4) investment earnings and interest earned on amounts |
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credited to the fund. |
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(g) The board by rule shall establish: |
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(1) the value of a grant awarded under this section; |
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(2) income limits for a veteran's eligibility for a |
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grant awarded under this section; and |
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(3) any other provision necessary to implement this |
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section. |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 158, Tax |
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Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER B. IMPOSITION AND COLLECTION OF TAX; DISPOSITION OF TAX |
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PROCEEDS |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter B, Chapter 158, Tax Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 158.059 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 158.059. ALLOCATION OF REVENUE. The comptroller shall |
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deposit the revenue attributable to the taxes imposed by this |
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chapter as follows: |
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(1) 10 percent to the credit of the manufactured home |
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grant fund established under Section 162.0105, Natural Resources |
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Code; and |
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(2) the remainder to the credit of the general revenue |
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fund. |
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SECTION 4. Section 158.059, Tax Code, as added by this Act, |
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applies only to the allocation of tax proceeds received by the |
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comptroller of public accounts with a report that covers a period |
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beginning on or after September 1, 2025. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |