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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the State District as the seat of |
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state government. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Title 1, Local Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Chapter 2 to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 2. STATE DISTRICT |
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Sec. 2.001. DISTRICT ESTABLISHED. (a) The State District |
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is created from the City of Austin in Travis County as the seat of |
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state government. |
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(b) In this chapter, "district" means the State District. |
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Sec. 2.002. DISTRICT TERRITORY. (a) The territory of the |
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district is initially composed of the territory in the following |
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boundaries: |
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(1) on the north, the southern edge of Martin Luther |
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King, Jr., Boulevard; |
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(2) on the east, the western edge of Trinity Street; |
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(3) on the south, the northern edge of 10th Street; and |
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(4) on the west, the eastern edge of Lavaca Street. |
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(b) The boundaries of the district may be modified by the |
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governing body of the district in the manner provided by law for a |
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home-rule municipality. |
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(c) A charter provision or ordinance of the City of Austin |
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remains in effect in the State District until a charter is adopted |
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under this chapter. On the adoption of the charter, the area in the |
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district is removed from the City of Austin. |
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Sec. 2.003. POWERS AND GOVERNANCE. (a) The district has |
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the powers of a home-rule municipality. The district charter has |
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the same force and effect and shall be treated the same in all |
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respects as the charter of a home-rule municipality. |
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(b) The district is governed by a board of five directors at |
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large appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the |
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senate. |
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(c) To qualify to serve as a director, a person must be a |
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resident of this state. |
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(d) Directors serve staggered two-year terms. |
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(e) If a vacancy occurs on the board, the governor shall |
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appoint a director with the advice and consent of the senate for the |
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remainder of the unexpired term. |
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(f) A board member is not entitled to compensation but is |
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entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses. |
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(g) The governor shall designate from the members of the |
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board a presiding officer. The board shall designate from the |
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members of the board other officers the board considers necessary. |
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Sec. 2.004. ADOPTION OF CHARTER. Not later than the 90th |
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day after the date the initial board is appointed, the board shall |
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adopt a charter to govern the operations of the district. |
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Sec. 2.005. POWERS. On the adoption of a charter under this |
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chapter, the district has the powers of a home-rule municipality. |
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The charter has the same force and effect and shall be treated the |
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same in all respects as the charter of a home-rule municipality. |
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Sec. 2.006. TRANSFERS AND ASSUMPTIONS. (a) On the adoption |
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of a charter under this chapter, all money, real property, |
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contracts, leases, and rights of the City of Austin existing on the |
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date of the charter adoption that relate to the territory included |
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in the district are transferred to the district. |
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(b) On the adoption of a charter under this chapter, the |
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district assumes a pro rata share of the indebtedness of the City of |
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Austin existing on the date of the charter adoption. The district |
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annually shall pay to the city an amount to be applied exclusively |
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to the payment of the district's share of that indebtedness until |
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the district's share is paid in full. |
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Sec. 2.007. STATE OFFICES AND FUNCTIONS. A state office |
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required to be located in or a state function required to occur in |
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the City of Austin by other law may be located or occur in the |
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district. |
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SECTION 2. Section 411.066, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 411.066. JURISDICTION. The [municipal court of a |
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municipality and the] justice courts of a county in which an offense |
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under Section 411.065 was committed have [concurrent] original |
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jurisdiction over such an offense. |
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SECTION 3. Section 411.062(f), Government Code, is |
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repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect January 1, 2022, but only |
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if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 87th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2021, allowing the legislature to establish from |
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part of the City of Austin the State District to be the seat of state |
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government is approved by the voters. If that amendment is not |
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approved by the voters, this Act has no effect. |