74R9758 MI-D
          By Coleman                                            H.B. No. 2446
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the authority of a municipal utility district to assess
    1-3  a charge for providing peace officers in the district.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 54.210, Water Code, is amended to read as
    1-6  follows:
    1-7        Sec. 54.210.  Enforcement by Peace Officers; ASSESSMENT OF
    1-8  CHARGES.  (a)  A district may employ its own peace officers with
    1-9  power to<:>
   1-10              <(1)>  make arrests when necessary within the district
   1-11  to prevent or abate the commission of any offense against the rules
   1-12  of the district or <and> against the laws of the state <when the
   1-13  offense or threatened offense occurs on any land, water, or
   1-14  easement owned or controlled by the district; and>
   1-15              <(2)  make an arrest in case of an offense involving
   1-16  injury or detriment to any property owned or controlled by the
   1-17  district>.
   1-18        (b)  Subject to the requirements of Section 54.2101, a
   1-19  district may impose an additional monthly charge on services
   1-20  provided by the district in an initial amount not to exceed $5 for
   1-21  each customer to pay for the provision of peace officers under this
   1-22  section and may increase the amount of that charge as necessary.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Water Code, is amended
   1-24  by adding Section 54.2101 to read as follows:
    2-1        Sec. 54.2101.  ELECTION REQUIRED; INCREASE IN AMOUNT.  (a)
    2-2  Before a district may impose a charge as authorized by Section
    2-3  54.210(b), an election on the charge must be held in the district.
    2-4  A district may not impose a charge unless the charge is approved by
    2-5  a majority of the qualified voters of the district.
    2-6        (b)  Notice of an election under this section shall be given
    2-7  in the same manner as notice of an election of directors under this
    2-8  chapter.
    2-9        (c)  The election shall be held at the same time in the same
   2-10  manner prescribed for the election of directors under this chapter.
   2-11        (d)  The ballots shall be printed to provide for voting for
   2-12  or against the proposition:  "The assessment of a monthly charge to
   2-13  pay for the provision of peace officers."
   2-14        (e)  After the initial assessment of a charge has been
   2-15  approved in an election under this section, the board of directors
   2-16  subsequently may increase the amount of the charge without an
   2-17  election on the increase.
   2-18        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-23  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-24  passage, and it is so enacted.