Senate Committee Passes Alternative to Military Land Use Regulation

Yesterday the Senate Veteran Affairs & Military Installations Committee voted to report HJR 132 by Corte (Senate Sponsor Wentworth) favorably.

This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to allow a city or county to issue bonds or notes to finance the acquisition of buffer areas or open spaces or the construction of roadways or infrastructure around military installations.

HJR 132 would allow cities and counties to purchase land surrounding a military installation as opposed to allowing counties to use private land as a buffer area or open space around a base through regulation without compensation as would be allowed by SB 2222 by Van de Putte (House Sponsor Corte) and SB 2223 by Van de Putte, SB 2439 by Uresti for Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, and HB 2919 by S. King (Senate Sponsor Fraser) for Dyess Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Alternative to Military Land Use Regulation Advances

Yesterday the Senate Subcommittee on Base Realignment and Closure reported HJR 132 by Corte (Senate Sponsor Wentworth) favorably.

This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to allow a city or county to issue bonds or notes to finance the acquisition of buffer areas or open spaces or the construction of roadways or infrastructure around military installations.

HJR 132 would allow cities and counties to purchase land surrounding a military installation as opposed to allowing counties to use private land as a buffer area or open space around a base through regulation without compensation as would be allowed by SB 2222 by Van de Putte (House Sponsor Corte) and SB 2223 by Van de Putte, SB 2439 by Uresti for Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio and HB 2919 by S. King (Senate Sponsor Fraser) for Dyess Air Force Base in San Antonio.

House Defense & Veterans' Affairs Hearing Wednesday, April 15th

The House Defense & Veterans' Affairs Committee has scheduled HB 4130 and HJR 132 (both authored by Chairman Corte) for public hearing on Wednesday, April 15th at 8 am in E2.026 at the Capitol.

HB 4130, enabling legislation for HJR 132, would allow a city or county to issue bonds or notes to finance the acquisition of buffer areas or open spaces or the construction of roadways or infrastructure around military installations.

Corte's proposed legislation would allow cities and counties to purchase land surrounding a military installation as opposed to allowing counties to use private land as a buffer area or open space around a base through regulation without compensation (as would be allowed by HB 2056 by Gallego/SB 2439 by Uresti for Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio and HB 143 by McClendon for Camp Bullis in San Antonio).

The House Defense & Veterans' Affairs Committee left both HB 2056 and HB 143 pending after hearing testimony on March 25th.

The Senate Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee left SB 2439, HB 2056's companion in the Senate, pending after hearing testimony yesterday, April 8th.