BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 72

By: Reynolds

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Fort Bend County currently does not have statutory authority to enact certain park use rules for its parks and should be able to enforce regulations and impose fines to discourage vandalism and other dangerous activities taking place in its parks. H.B. 72 will provide Fort Bend County the authority to adopt rules concerning the use of its parks in order to make them safer for public use, excluding rules relating to the use of fireworks. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 72 amends the Local Government Code to authorize the board of park commissioners of a county with a population of 580,000 or more that is adjacent to a county with a population of 2.8 million or more to adopt, subject to the approval of the commissioners court, reasonable rules concerning the use of any park administered by the board, the violation of which is a Class C misdemeanor. The bill prohibits the board from adopting rules relating to the use of fireworks.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.