1-1  By:  Pickett (Senate Sponsor - Rosson)                H.B. No. 1824
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House April 25, 1995;
    1-3  April 26, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
    1-4  Intergovernmental Relations; May 10, 1995, reported favorably by
    1-5  the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 10, 1995, sent to
    1-6  printer.)
    1-7                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-8                                AN ACT
    1-9  relating to rates for water supply or sewer services charged by the
   1-10  City of El Paso to residents of a certain area of El Paso County.
   1-11        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-12        SECTION 1.  (a)  Notwithstanding Section 16.349, Water Code,
   1-13  the City of El Paso, through the El Paso Water Utilities Public
   1-14  Service Board, may charge residents of the greater Canutillo
   1-15  service area described by Section 2 of this Act water supply or
   1-16  sewer service rates that exceed the rates paid by water supply or
   1-17  sewer service customers who are residents of the city of El Paso if
   1-18  the higher rates are necessary or appropriate to fully cover the
   1-19  cost of service to the area.
   1-20        (b)  The water supply or sewer service rates the City of El
   1-21  Paso charges residents of the greater Canutillo service area may
   1-22  include the amounts necessary to recover:
   1-23              (1)  the cost of operation and maintenance of the water
   1-24  supply and sewer service improvements serving the area; and
   1-25              (2)  debt service cost of loans accepted to improve the
   1-26  water supply or sewer service system serving the area.
   1-27        (c)  Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (b) of this section,
   1-28  for a period of three years after the City of El Paso begins water
   1-29  supply or sewer service to the greater Canutillo service area, the
   1-30  City of El Paso may not charge residents of the service area a rate
   1-31  that exceeds 115 percent of the rate charged to the residents of
   1-32  the city of El Paso.
   1-33        SECTION 2.  The greater Canutillo service area is that area
   1-34  in the northwestern portion of El Paso County being approximately
   1-35  14,207 acres of land and being generally bounded:
   1-36              (1)  on the north by the municipal boundaries of the
   1-37  City of Anthony, as established on the effective date of this Act;
   1-38              (2)  on the east by Interstate Highway 10;
   1-39              (3)  on the south by the municipal boundaries of the
   1-40  City of El Paso, as established on the effective date of this Act;
   1-41  and
   1-42              (4)  on the west by the state boundary shared with New
   1-43  Mexico.
   1-44        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-45  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-46  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-47  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-48  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-49  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-50  passage, and it is so enacted.
   1-51                               * * * * *