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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the authority of certain political subdivisions to |
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adopt a budget that reduces the amount allocated to provide a fire |
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protection, law enforcement, or emergency medical service. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 140, Local Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 140.0046 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 140.0046. LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY OF CERTAIN POLITICAL |
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SUBDIVISIONS TO REDUCE BUDGET FOR PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES. (a) In |
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this section, "public safety service" means a fire protection, law |
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enforcement, or emergency medical service. |
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(b) This section does not apply to a school district. |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a political |
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subdivision may not adopt a budget unless the political subdivision |
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allocates money in that budget to provide for each public safety |
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service in an amount equal to or greater than the amount allocated |
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to provide for that service in the preceding fiscal year. |
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(d) A political subdivision may adopt a budget that does not |
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meet the requirements of Subsection (c) that relate to a public |
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safety service if the political subdivision will not provide that |
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service in the fiscal year for which the budget is adopted. |
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(e) For purposes of this section, the amount allocated in a |
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budget to provide a service includes all maintenance, operations, |
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and debt service costs associated with providing the service. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to the adoption of a budget by a political subdivision for a fiscal |
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year that begins on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |