BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4615

By: Gates

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that undeveloped land located within Fort Bend County would benefit from the creation of a municipal utility district. C.S.H.B. 4615 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. 4615 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to create the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 249, subject to municipal consent and voter approval at a confirmation election. The bill grants the district the power to undertake certain road projects and provides for the development of a district website for purposes of posting certain tax information. The bill authorizes the district, subject to certain requirements, to issue obligations and impose property 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. 4615 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 provision absent from the original conditioning the authority of the temporary directors of the district to issue bonds on the consent of the municipality and the approval and acceptance of a development and operating agreement. The substitute includes a provision absent from the original establishing the manner in which the consent must be granted.

The substitute includes a definition of "city," which was absent from the original.