Sec. 783.009. MATCHING FUND WAIVER FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED COUNTY OR CENSUS TRACT. (a) In this section, "economically disadvantaged county" means a county that has a per capita taxable property tax value that is less than one-half the average per capita taxable property value of counties in the state or, in comparison to other counties in the state, has:

(1) below average per capita taxable property value;

(2) below average per capita income; and

(3) above average unemployment.

(b) In this section, "economically disadvantaged census tract" means a census tract delineated by the U.S. Bureau of the Census in the most recent decennial census in which the median family income is reported by the U.S. Bureau of the Census to be less than 80 percent of the area median family income.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a state agency may, for an economically disadvantaged county or economically disadvantaged census tract, adjust any matching funds requirement that is otherwise a condition for a county to receive a grant or other form of financial assistance from the agency.

(d) This section does not apply to the Texas Transportation Commission or to waivers or adjustments of matching funds requirements granted by the Texas Department of Transportation or governed by Section 222.053(a), Transportation Code.

(e) Each agency shall include information about its use of waivers or adjustments to matching funds requirements in its annual report. The information shall include the disposition of each instance where a waiver or adjustment is requested or considered.

(f) Each agency that adjusts a matching funds requirement under this section shall prepare and submit an annual report describing each adjustment made by the agency during the preceding state fiscal year and the effects of each adjustment on the agency's programs. The agency shall state the amount of each adjustment, the program under which the adjustment was made, and the name of each county or the location of each census tract, as appropriate, that benefited from the adjustment. The agency shall send a copy of the annual report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, Legislative Budget Board, and to each member of the legislature who requests a copy. The agency may include the annual report in the annual financial report submitted under Section 2101.011.

Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1486, Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 1999. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 101, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.