HB3010

HB3010 directs the Texas Division of Emergency Management to establish grants for rebuilding or repairing disaster-damaged critical infrastructure in qualifying rural communities. But the dedicated account written into this bill was abolished by the separate funds-consolidation law, HB4488. The comptroller explicitly lists HB3010’s account among those that will not be created. Do not read the account language in HB3010 alone as proof that a funded, protected account exists. HB3010 final law; comptroller’s funds-consolidation guidance, “Items NOT Exempted”.

Under HB3010’s grant framework, a county must meet all of these conditions: population under 100,000; gross domestic product under $2 billion; poverty rate greater than 15 percent; location wholly or partly in a governor-declared disaster area; and assessed disaster damages exceeding 10 percent of the state and local sales-and-use taxes collected in the county during the preceding state fiscal year. That last threshold is not 10 percent of the county’s budget or property value.

Other political subdivisions wholly or partly in a qualifying county may also apply. The bill expressly includes municipalities, special districts, school districts and junior-college districts, rather than limiting the program to counties and incorporated cities under the chapter’s general definition. Eligible status allows an application; it does not guarantee an award.

Grants are for repairing or rebuilding critical infrastructure damaged by a disaster reasonably considered a public calamity. The statutory examples include roads, public schools, hospitals and other health facilities, water-intake and treatment facilities, wastewater plants, pump stations, utility-scale water or wastewater systems, and specified airport facilities. Grant proceeds cannot be diverted to unrelated purposes. An application must describe the project, estimate its total cost, provide documentation that it does not qualify for FEMA funding, and include other eligibility information requested by the division. This is not a general replacement for available federal disaster aid.

HB3010 directs the division to establish application and award procedures by rule and permits grants using money appropriated for the program. The bill’s proposed account would have held legislative money, gifts/grants and investment earnings and paid grants plus necessary, reasonable administration costs. HB4488 overrides that dedicated-account arrangement: unexempted revenue instead goes to undedicated general revenue. The comptroller explains that any appropriation from an abolished account is established in general revenue. This does not itself erase HB3010’s program provisions, supply an appropriation or establish that applications or funding are presently available. HB4488, Sections 2, 9 and 16.

HB3010 took effect September 1, 2025, after being signed June 20. Official history.