BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 1117

By: Kolkhorst

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been calls to expand representation on the board of directors of the Fort Bend Subsidence District, which regulates the withdrawal of groundwater within the district, to include Fulshear, a fast-growing community in northwest Fort Bend County. C.S.S.B. 1117 seeks to address this issue by including Fulshear among municipalities whose mayor is required to appoint a director to the district and providing for the joint appointment of an additional director to represent the district at large.

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.S.B. 1117 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to increase the membership of the board of directors of the Fort Bend Subsidence District from 15 to 17 by adding one member to be appointed by the mayor of Fulshear and one member who represents the district at large to be jointly appointed by the mayors of Fort Bend County municipalities. The bill provides for the staggered terms of the additional members and requires the appropriate authorities to appoint the members not later than November 1, 2021.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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

COMPARISON OF SENATE ENGROSSED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.S.B. 1117 may differ from the engrossed in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the engrossed and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the engrossed version's provision relating to the appointment of a director who represents the district at large from requiring the Fort Bend County Commissioners Court to make the appointment to requiring the mayors of the county's municipalities to jointly make the appointment.