74R8862 JJT-F By De La Garza H.B. No. 2143 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2143: By Longoria C.S.H.B. No. 2143 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation of an emergency services district and 1-3 simultaneous dissolution of a rural fire prevention district. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 775, Health and Safety 1-6 Code, is amended by adding Sections 775.023 and 775.024 to read as 1-7 follows: 1-8 Sec. 775.023. PETITION FOR CREATION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES 1-9 DISTRICT AND DISSOLUTION OF RURAL FIRE PREVENTION DISTRICTS: 1-10 CERTAIN COUNTIES. (a) This section and Section 775.024 apply only 1-11 to a petition filed in a county that: 1-12 (1) is located on an international border; 1-13 (2) has a population of more than 375,000; and 1-14 (3) contains at least seven municipalities, each with 1-15 a population of more than 12,000. A petition calling for the 1-16 creation of an emergency services district that includes territory 1-17 of one or more rural fire prevention districts and for the 1-18 simultaneous dissolution of those rural fire prevention districts 1-19 may be filed with the county judge of the county in which the 1-20 proposed emergency services district will be located. The petition 1-21 must be signed by at least 100 qualified voters who own taxable 1-22 real property that is located in the county and in the proposed 1-23 emergency services district. If there are fewer than 100 of those 1-24 voters, the petition must be signed by a majority of those voters. 2-1 The name of the district proposed by the petition must 2-2 be "___________________ Emergency Services District." 2-3 (b) The petition must show: 2-4 (1) that the district is to be created and is to 2-5 operate under Section 48-e, Article III, Texas Constitution, as 2-6 proposed by S.J.R. No. 27, Acts of the 70th Legislature, Regular 2-7 Session, 1987, and adopted by the voters at an election held 2-8 November 3, 1987; 2-9 (2) the name of the proposed emergency services 2-10 district; 2-11 (3) the emergency services district's boundaries as 2-12 designated by metes and bounds or other sufficient legal 2-13 description; 2-14 (4) the name of each rural fire prevention district 2-15 that exists in the territory encompassed by the boundaries of the 2-16 proposed emergency services district and that is proposed to be 2-17 dissolved; 2-18 (5) that none of the territory in the emergency 2-19 services district is included in another emergency services 2-20 district; and 2-21 (6) the mailing address of each petitioner. 2-22 (c) The petition must contain an agreement signed by at 2-23 least two petitioners that obligates them to pay not more than $150 2-24 of the costs incident to the formation of the emergency services 2-25 district, including the costs of publishing notices, election 2-26 costs, and other necessary and incidental expenses. 2-27 (d) If the petition is in proper form, the county judge may 3-1 receive the petition and shall file the petition with the county 3-2 clerk. 3-3 (e) At the next regular or special session of the 3-4 commissioners court held after the petition is filed with the 3-5 county clerk, the commissioners court shall set a place, date, and 3-6 time for hearings to consider the petition. At least one hearing 3-7 must be conducted in each rural fire prevention district that is 3-8 proposed to be dissolved. The notice and the conduct of the 3-9 hearings must be in accordance with Sections 775.015 and 775.016. 3-10 After the conclusion of the hearings, the commissioners court may 3-11 grant the petition as provided by Section 775.017. 3-12 Sec. 775.024. ELECTION TO CREATE EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT 3-13 AND DISSOLUTION OF RURAL FIRE PREVENTION DISTRICT: CERTAIN 3-14 COUNTIES. (a) On the granting of a petition under Section 3-15 775.023, the commissioners court shall order an election to confirm 3-16 the creation of the emergency services district, authorize the 3-17 imposition of a tax not to exceed 10 cents on each $100 of the 3-18 taxable value of property taxable by the district, and assume the 3-19 assets and liabilities of each rural fire prevention district that 3-20 is proposed to be dissolved. At the same time, the commissioners 3-21 court shall order an election in each rural fire prevention 3-22 district on the question of whether to dissolve the rural fire 3-23 prevention district effective on the date that the emergency 3-24 services district is created. Sections 775.018 and 775.019 apply 3-25 to the election to confirm the creation of the emergency services 3-26 district. Section 794.059 applies to the election to dissolve the 3-27 rural fire prevention district, except that the commissioners court 4-1 shall perform a duty of the board of fire commissioners under that 4-2 section. 4-3 (b) The ballot in the election to confirm creation of the 4-4 emergency services district must be printed to permit voting for or 4-5 against the proposition: "The creation of the ____________ 4-6 Emergency Services District; the transfer to the ____________ 4-7 Emergency Services District of the assets and liabilities of 4-8 ____________ Rural Fire Prevention District if that district is 4-9 dissolved; and the levy of an ad valorem tax at a rate not to 4-10 exceed 10 cents on each $100 valuation of property." 4-11 (c) An emergency services district is created and organized 4-12 under this chapter if a majority of those voting in the election 4-13 vote to confirm the creation of the emergency services district. 4-14 If a majority of those voting at the election vote against 4-15 confirming the creation of the emergency services district, a rural 4-16 fire prevention district as to which the commissioners court orders 4-17 an election under Subsection (a) is not dissolved, without regard 4-18 to the results of the dissolution election. 4-19 (d) If a majority of those voting at the election vote to 4-20 dissolve a rural fire prevention district, the territory of the 4-21 rural fire prevention district is included in the emergency 4-22 services district. If a majority of those voting at the election 4-23 vote against dissolving a rural fire prevention district, the 4-24 territory of the rural fire prevention district may not be included 4-25 in the emergency services district. 4-26 (e) On the effective date of creation of an emergency 4-27 services district as provided by an order under Section 775.019(e), 5-1 the board of fire commissioners of a rural fire prevention district 5-2 dissolved as a result of an election under this section shall 5-3 transfer the assets and liabilities of the rural fire prevention 5-4 district to the emergency services district. If the rural fire 5-5 prevention district has outstanding bonds to which ad valorem taxes 5-6 are pledged, the board of emergency services commissioners of the 5-7 emergency services district shall fully pay the debt or shall 5-8 annually impose an ad valorem tax on all property located in the 5-9 district and subject to district taxation at a rate sufficient to 5-10 pay the principal and interest on the bonds. The dissolution of 5-11 the rural fire prevention district does not diminish or impair the 5-12 rights of the holders of any outstanding bonds or notes of the 5-13 district at the time of dissolution. 5-14 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 5-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 5-19 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 5-20 passage, and it is so enacted.