BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3140

By: Bell, Cecil

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that undeveloped land located within Harris County and Waller County would benefit from the creation of a municipal utility district. C.S.H.B. 3140 seeks to provide for the creation of such a district.

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

C.S.H.B. 3140 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to create the Harris-Waller Counties Municipal Utility District No. 5, subject to municipal consent and voter approval at a confirmation election. The bill grants the district the power to undertake certain road projects and authorizes the district, subject to certain requirements, to issue obligations and impose property, operation and maintenance, and contract taxes. The bill expressly prohibits the district from exercising the power of eminent domain if the bill does not receive a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each house.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3140 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute includes a requirement absent from the original for a road project that extends across the boundary of the corporate limits of a municipality to meet certain construction standards, subdivision requirements, and regulations.