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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 District of Austin as the seat |
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of 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. DISTRICT OF AUSTIN |
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Sec. 2.001. DISTRICT ESTABLISHED. (a) The District of |
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Austin is created from the City of Austin in Travis County as the |
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seat of state government. |
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(b) In this chapter, "district" means the District of |
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Austin. |
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(c) A reference in law to the City of Austin means the |
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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 boundaries |
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of the City of Austin as those boundaries existed on January 1, |
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2025. |
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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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Sec. 2.003. GOVERNANCE AND POWERS. (a) The charter of the |
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City of Austin and all ordinances adopted by the city and in effect |
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as of January 1, 2026, are adopted as the initial laws of the |
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district. |
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(b) The district has the powers of a home-rule municipality. |
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The district charter has the same force and effect and shall be |
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treated the same in all respects as the charter of a home-rule |
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municipality. |
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Sec. 2.004. TRANSFERS AND ASSUMPTIONS. (a) Any action or |
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proceeding before the City of Austin as of January 1, 2026, is |
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transferred without change in status to the district, and the |
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district assumes, without a change in status, the position of the |
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city in any action or proceeding to which the city is a party. |
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(b) All money, contracts, leases, and rights of the City of |
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Austin held as of January 1, 2026, are transferred to the district. |
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(c) All property, including records, in the custody of the |
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City of Austin as of January 1, 2026, becomes the property of the |
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district. |
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(d) The district assumes all outstanding debts of the City |
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of Austin as of January 1, 2026. |
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Sec. 2.005. LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT. The governing body of |
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the district shall submit to the lieutenant governor and the |
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speaker of the house of representatives notice of each action taken |
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by the governing body that adopts or amends the district's charter |
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or an ordinance of the district. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026, but only |
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if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2025, allowing the legislature to establish from |
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all or part of Travis County the District of Austin to be the seat of |
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state government is approved by the voters. If that amendment is |
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not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect. |