By Coleman                                            H.B. No. 2446
       74R5766 MI-D
                                 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.  A district may increase the charge each year by a
   1-23  percentage equal to the percentage by which the consumer price
   1-24  index for that year exceeds the consumer price index for the
    2-1  preceding year.
    2-2        (c)  A district may enforce the collection of charges imposed
    2-3  under this section by the termination of other district services or
    2-4  as provided by Section 54.209 for violation of district rules.
    2-5        (d)  In this section, "consumer price index" means the
    2-6  Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the
    2-7  Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Water Code, is amended
    2-9  by adding Section 54.2101 to read as follows:
   2-10        Sec. 54.2101.  ELECTION REQUIRED.  (a)  Before a district may
   2-11  impose a charge as authorized by Section 54.210(b), and election on
   2-12  the charge must be held in the district.  A district may not impose
   2-13  a charge unless the charge is approved by a majority of the
   2-14  qualified voters of the district.
   2-15        (b)  Notice of an election under this section shall be given
   2-16  as provided for confirmation and bond elections under this chapter.
   2-17        (c)  The election shall be held in the manner prescribed for
   2-18  confirmation and bond elections under this chapter.
   2-19        (d)  The ballots shall be printed to provide for voting for
   2-20  or against the proposition:  "The assessment of a monthly charge to
   2-21  pay for the provision of peace officers."
   2-22        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-23  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-24  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-25  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-26  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-27  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    3-1  passage, and it is so enacted.