H 228 IMPROVEMENT SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ACT

Rep Linda Serrato

Actions: [3] HCEDC/HGEIC-HCEDC [6] DNP-CS/DP-HGEIC [11] DP [12] PASSED/H (44-18) [10] STBTC/SJC-STBTC [17] DP-SJC [20] DP [22] PASSED/S (35-3)

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

 House Bill 228 House Commerce & Economic Development Committee substitute (HB 228 HCEDCcs) creates the Improvement Special Assessment Act and authorizes counties to use the act to for the development of certain property improvements. The bill repeals the Solar Energy Improvement Special Assessment Act.
 

 House Bill 228 (HB 228) enacts the Improvement Special Assessment Act which provides financing to counties for renewable energy, energy efficiency, resiliency, and water conservation improvements on privately owned commercial, industrial, agricultural, nonprofit, or multifamily property. Qualifying resiliency projects means improvements that increase the resilience of a property, including air quality, flood mitigation, storm water management, energy storage and microgrids, vehicle charging units, and fire and wind resistance.

HB 228 permits counties to establish a program by ordinance which forms the program guidebook including financing, eligible improvements, qualifying regions, assessment agreements with property owners and capital providers, and other terms of the special assessments. Loans made by banks or other lenders would be used for qualifying improvements and be repaid by special property tax levies on the property. 

HB 228 provides for property liens and establishes procedures in the case of delinquencies. Defaults are subject to the same procedures as mortgage foreclosures. 

The bill provides immunity to counties. Nothing in the act pledges, offers, or encumbers the credit of counties. 




 

 HB 228 HCEDCcs enacts the Improvement Special Assessment Act which provides financing to counties for renewable energy, energy efficiency, resiliency, and water conservation improvements on privately owned commercial, industrial, agricultural, nonprofit, or multifamily property. Qualifying resiliency projects means improvements that increase the resilience of a property, including air quality, flood mitigation, storm water management, energy storage and microgrids, vehicle charging units, and fire and wind resistance.

HB 228 HCEDCcs permits counties to establish a program by ordinance which forms the program guidebook including financing, eligible improvements, qualifying regions, assessment agreements with property owners and capital providers, and other terms of the special assessments. Loans made by banks or other lenders would be used for qualifying improvements and be repaid by special property tax levies on the property. 

HB 228 HCEDCcs provides for property liens and establishes procedures in the case of delinquencies. Defaults are subject to the same procedures as mortgage foreclosures. 

The bill provides immunity to counties. Nothing in the act pledges, offers, or encumbers the credit of counties. 
 
HB 228 HCEDCcs repeals the Solar Energy Improvement Special Assessment Act.