By McCoulskey H.B. No. 2970 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authorization of a county commissioners court to 1-3 own, operate and maintain water and sewer systems for 1-4 unincorporated areas inside and outside the county, granting to the 1-5 county the power of eminent domain. 1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-7 SECTION 1. Chapter 412, Subchapter B, Local Government Code, 1-8 Vernon's Annotated Texas Codes, is amended by adding Section 1-9 412.015 to read as follows: 1-10 (a) The commissioners court of a county may build, own, 1-11 operate, and maintain water and sewer systems within unincorporated 1-12 areas within the county. 1-13 (b) The county may issue revenue bonds secured solely by the 1-14 pledge of revenues from the area or areas being served. The county 1-15 may not pledge any general revenues secured by ad valorem taxes. 1-16 (c) The county may acquire necessary land, easements, and 1-17 rights-of-way inside and outside of county jurisdiction in order to 1-18 provide service under this section. The county is specifically 1-19 granted the use of all public easements and allowed the use of 1-20 eminent domain in order to fulfill the requirements of this 1-21 section. 1-22 (d) Any service to be provided within a city's 1-23 extraterritorial jurisdiction or within a certificated service area 2-1 of any other utility the county must receive written authorization 2-2 from the city or utility prior to any issuance of revenue debt. 2-3 (e) The county would be subject to all applicable rules and 2-4 regulations by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission 2-5 as required of municipalities. 2-6 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 2-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.