Relating to the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program.

HB 289 establishes a state program to provide grants for rebuilding critical infrastructure damaged by disasters in rural areas. It directly affects eligible Texas counties meeting specific criteria: population under 100,000, gross domestic product under $3 billion, poverty rate over 10%, and disaster damage exceeding 10% of their prior year sales tax revenue. The program funds repairs to roads, schools, hospitals, water systems, and other defined critical infrastructure through grants administered by the state division. Funding comes from existing appropriations, with eligibility limited to counties wholly or partly in a governor-declared disaster area.