BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 312 By: Wentworth Intergovernmental Relations 02-22-95 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND Chapter 232, Texas Local Government Code, is dedicated to providing safe and orderly development of privately subdivided property. Information on the prospective uses of the land within a county's boundaries allows a county to foresee and plan for roads, sewers, and other services that will be required by future developments. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 312 requires subdivision owners to prepare a plat stating the dimensions of each lot. Provides that the commissioners court is not required to publish notice of an application under certain conditions. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Sections 232.001(a) and (b), Local Government Code, as follows: (a) Requires the owner of a tract of land outside a municipality limits, who divides the tract into two or more parts to lay out lots or streets, alleys, or parks for public use, to have a plat of the subdivision prepared. (b) Requires the plat to state the dimensions of each tract intended to be dedicated to public use. SECTION 2. Amends Section 232.008(b), Local Government Code, to authorize, rather than require, the commissioners court to authorize the owner of the subdivision to file an instrument canceling the subdivision in whole or in part. SECTION 3. Amends Section 232.009, Local Government Code, as follows: Sec. 232.009. REVISION OF PLAT. (a) Created from existing Subsection (b). Deletes existing Subsection (a) providing that this section applies only to property located outside municipalities with a population of 1.5 million or more. (b) Redesignates existing Subsection (c). (c) Provides that the commissioners court is not required under Subsection (b) to publish a notice of an application or give notice to nondeveloper owners if the proposed revision of the subdivision plat combines or reconfigures tracts, and the resulting tracts are larger than the original tracts. Subsections (d) and (e) make no changes. SECTION 4. Repealer: Section 232.007, Local Government Code (Manufactured Home Rental Communities). SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 6. Emergency clause.