H.B. No. 1824 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to rates for water supply or sewer services charged by the 1-3 City of El Paso to residents of a certain area of El Paso County. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding Section 16.349, Water Code, 1-6 the City of El Paso, through the El Paso Water Utilities Public 1-7 Service Board, may charge residents of the greater Canutillo 1-8 service area described by Section 2 of this Act water supply or 1-9 sewer service rates that exceed the rates paid by water supply or 1-10 sewer service customers who are residents of the city of El Paso if 1-11 the higher rates are necessary or appropriate to fully cover the 1-12 cost of service to the area. 1-13 (b) The water supply or sewer service rates the City of El 1-14 Paso charges residents of the greater Canutillo service area may 1-15 include the amounts necessary to recover: 1-16 (1) the cost of operation and maintenance of the water 1-17 supply and sewer service improvements serving the area; and 1-18 (2) debt service cost of loans accepted to improve the 1-19 water supply or sewer service system serving the area. 1-20 (c) Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (b) of this section, 1-21 for a period of three years after the City of El Paso begins water 1-22 supply or sewer service to the greater Canutillo service area, the 1-23 City of El Paso may not charge residents of the service area a rate 1-24 that exceeds 115 percent of the rate charged to the residents of 2-1 the city of El Paso. 2-2 SECTION 2. The greater Canutillo service area is that area 2-3 in the northwestern portion of El Paso County being approximately 2-4 14,207 acres of land and being generally bounded: 2-5 (1) on the north by the municipal boundaries of the 2-6 City of Anthony, as established on the effective date of this Act; 2-7 (2) on the east by Interstate Highway 10; 2-8 (3) on the south by the municipal boundaries of the 2-9 City of El Paso, as established on the effective date of this Act; 2-10 and 2-11 (4) on the west by the state boundary shared with New 2-12 Mexico. 2-13 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-14 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-15 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-16 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-17 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-18 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-19 passage, and it is so enacted.