By Yarbrough                                          H.B. No. 1783
       74R6047 CBH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the authority of certain counties to charge a fee for
    1-3  installing or replacing water or sewer lines.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended
    1-6  by adding Section 13.256 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 13.256.  COUNTY FEE.  (a)  Notwithstanding any other
    1-8  provision of law, a county with a population of more than 2.8
    1-9  million may not charge a water and sewer utility a fee for the
   1-10  privilege of installing or replacing a water or sewer line in the
   1-11  county's right-of-way.
   1-12        (b)  This section does not affect a franchise agreement or
   1-13  other contract entered into before September 1, 1995.
   1-14        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-15        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-16  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-17  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-18  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-19  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.