Senate Committee on Natural Resources met on May 6 to discuss a number of items; this report covers HB 2404 (Meyer et al.). The video for this meeting can be found here.
HB 2404 (Meyer et al.) CS – Relating to the creation and maintenance of a database of information regarding certain local economic development agreements; providing a civil penalty
- Bill is a recommendation of Ways and Means and has contingency rider in House version of budget
- Bill would require Comptroller to create online database, establish deadlines for local government paperwork and enforce a penalty for those who do not comply timely
- CS extends deadline for local government to submit required paperwork from 7 to 14 days and adds fiscal responsibility language
Carine Martinez, Texas Public Policy Foundation – For
- Number of economic development programs at state and local level has tremendously increased in last thirty years but transparency has not
- State and local spend $95 billion every year and public has no way to check expenditures
- Useful tool for taxpayers and legislators
HB 2404 left pending