By:  Krusee                                           H.B. No. 1796
       73R4255 DWS-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to extension beyond a municipality's boundaries of certain
    1-3  municipal regulations to protect water quality.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 26, Water Code, is amended
    1-6  by adding Section 26.180 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 26.180.  PROTECTION OF WATER QUALITY OF AQUIFER RECHARGE
    1-8  ZONE.  (a)  This section applies only to a municipality all or part
    1-9  of which is located over the northern Edwards Aquifer recharge
   1-10  zone, as designated by the commission and which is an area of
   1-11  interest to the entire state.
   1-12        (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter,
   1-13  the governing body of a municipality may extend the application of
   1-14  any ordinance of the municipality to an area within the
   1-15  municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction as necessary to
   1-16  protect the water quality of the aquifer.
   1-17        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-22  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-23  passage, and it is so enacted.