HB 26-13: Urban Investment and Redevelopment Act (Passed)

[Joseph Cao]

AN ACT
To assist impoverished Atlasians and secure a better future for our posterity.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled,

Section I. Title
i. The long title of this bill shall be the "Urban Investment and Redevelopment Act."

Section II. Definitions
i. Urban area is defined as a CSA with over 1 million residents as of the most recently completed Census.

Section III. Creation of Urban Economic Action Districts
i. Regional and local governments may apply to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for cities or designated portions of cities to be designated as Urban Economic Action District (UEAD).
     a. For an area to be designated a UEAD, the median household income must be below the national median household income, and the percentage of households receiving federal assistance such as SNAP must exceed 20%.
     b. Once designated, a UEAD retains its status for five years.
ii. The Department of Housing and Urban Development shall work with financial institutions to create loan programs to benefit UEADs.

Section IV. Programs for Urban Economic Action Districts
i. Businesses that open new locations within UEADs shall receive (tax incentives) for the new location for up to three tax years.
ii. Businesses within UEADs owned by residents of the UEAD are eligible to apply to receive (tax incentives) for up to three tax years.
iii. Businesses receiving (tax incentives) shall also be exempt from employer-paid payroll taxes on new hires that are residents of the UEAD for up to one tax year.

Section V. Food Desert Prevention Program for Healthy Kids
i. Full-service grocery stores within UEADs can offer a 25% reduction to SNAP and WIC beneficiaries to be reimbursed by the federal government.
ii. A package of pots, pans, utensils, measuring cups, and a cookbook will be offered to all SNAP and WIC beneficiaries.
     a. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will sponsor cooking classes in UEADs every two months.

Section VI. Deconstruction of Blighted Areas
i. UEADs may apply for grant funds to be used for the purpose of deconstructing and rebuilding blighted areas.
     a. UEADs may apply for grant funds to create public parks and housing developments in formerly blighted areas.
ii. All uses of grant funds shall be subject to Department of Housing and Urban Development oversight.

Section VII. Public School Improvements
i. (underperforming public schools) can offer up to 33% higher pay to new teacher hires to be covered by the federal government.
     a. The 33% shall apply to the standard starting salary for the school district at the time of the UEAD designation.
ii. (underperforming public schools) more than twenty years old may apply for grant funds for school improvements.
     a. Grant funds may be used for classroom remodels, new equipment, or other maintenance or improvements.
     b. All uses of grant funds shall be subject to Department of Education oversight.

Section VIII. Appropriations
i. (TBD)

Sponsor: SevenEleven
House Designation: HB 26-13

72 hours to debate.

[Joseph Cao]

We're way past 72 hours here. Sponsor?

[Joseph Cao]

This area of policy is not exactly within my wheelhouse, so my apologies for not having offered any substantive input on the bill. That said, I like the idea of a tax incentive for small businesses within these districts.

Do other representatives have any thoughts on this?

[Joseph Cao]

A good, common-sense amendment. 24 hours to object to its adoption.

[Joseph Cao]

With no objections, the amendment is adopted.

[Joseph Cao]

24 hours to object to the amendment.

[Joseph Cao]

The amendment is adopted.

[Joseph Cao]

That Appropriations section could do with a little debate. Are we in shape to add this to the budget discussion?

[Joseph Cao]

As the third member of that 1/3 of the House, let me stick my nose in further.

So full disclosure: I sent this to the Comptroller to be costed some time ago and received an assurance that it would be examined some time after New Year's. I think we can fairly assume, with [gestures wildly at RL], that that hasn't been done yet, so just remember to drop a PM updating them if the bill is amended in such a way as to help with that task.

Aside from that, this is an appropriate amendment that should clarify a key point in the bill and improve its working. I'm happy to support it.

[Joseph Cao]

I propose an amendment that all acronyms within this bill be explained/defined.

As I have already ticked someone off previously from not previewing a post, I want to emphasize that I am not attacking the drafter of this bill. For best practice and the readability of this bill and future bills can ALL acronyms please be formatted as either "Letters of the Acronym (LotA)" or LotA (Letters of the Acronym)". As many acronyms that have been in "common usage "(in government) at one time, times change. It is best practice to ensure that acronyms are spelt out in full the first time they are used. Or at the very least are explained in the "definitions" or a "glossary".

Urban area is defined as a MSA

What is an MSA? This isn't defined in the definitions section of this bill.
Both "SNAP" and "WIC" aren't defined either.

UEAD is defined using the "Letters of the Acronym (LotA)" method.

Bills should be understandable for most people (preferably all but that's impossible in practice). Not the purview of a clique in the know about the lingo. I'm sure this isn't intentional. But speaking as someone who had read a lot of documents where acronyms both are and aren't explained. It frustrating when they aren't. Its best practice to have them explained.

I would support such an amendment. A little extra clarity never hurt anybody.

[Joseph Cao]

Any particular justification for those numbers in the Appropriations section?

[Joseph Cao]

Aye.