74R10670 DRH-F By McCoulskey H.B. No. 2970 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2970: By Longoria C.S.H.B. No. 2970 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of a county to operate a water or sewer 1-3 utility in unincorporated areas of a county. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 412, Local Government Code, 1-6 is amended by adding Section 412.015 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 412.015. COUNTY WATER AND SEWER FACILITY. (a) Except 1-8 as provided by this section, a county may operate a water or sewer 1-9 utility system to serve an unincorporated area of the county in the 1-10 same manner, and under the same regulations, as a municipality 1-11 under Chapter 402. 1-12 (b) A county may issue bonds payable solely from the revenue 1-13 generated by the water or sewer utility system. A county may not 1-14 issue general obligation bonds payable from ad valorem taxes. 1-15 (c) A county may acquire any interest in property necessary 1-16 to operate a system authorized by this section through any means, 1-17 including eminent domain. 1-18 (d) A county may not provide water or sewer service to an 1-19 area in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality or an 1-20 area to which a holder of a certificate of public convenience and 1-21 necessity must provide service under Section 13.250, Water Code, 1-22 without the consent of the municipality or the holder of the 1-23 certificate. 2-1 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 2-2 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.