By Rodriguez, Puente                                   H.B. No. 376

         75R2512 JMC-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the authority of the Bexar Metropolitan Water District

 1-3     to issue bonds.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 306, Acts of the 49th Legislature,

 1-6     Regular Session, 1945 (Article 8280-126, Vernon's Texas Civil

 1-7     Statutes), is amended by adding Section 15A to read as follows:

 1-8           Sec. 15A.  Sections 49.181 and 49.183, Water Code, do not

 1-9     apply to the issuance or sale of district bonds.

1-10           SECTION 2.  (a)  The proper and legal notice of the intention

1-11     to introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this

1-12     Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a

1-13     copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies,

1-14     officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished

1-15     by the constitution and other laws of this state, including the

1-16     governor, who has submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Natural

1-17     Resource Conservation Commission.

1-18           (b)  The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission has

1-19     filed its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor,

1-20     lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives

1-21     within the required time.

1-22           (c)  All requirements of the constitution and laws of this

1-23     state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect

1-24     to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled

 2-1     and accomplished.

 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,

 2-7     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-8     passage, and it is so enacted.

 2-9                          COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1

2-10           Amend H.B. 376 as follows:

2-11           (1)  Replace the words "Section 15A to read as follows:" on

2-12     page 1, line 7, of the bill with the words "Sections 15A and 15B to

2-13     read as follows:".

2-14           (2)  Insert the following new language between lines 9 and 10

2-15     of page 1 of the bill:

2-16           Sec. 15B.  The District shall take all action, including

2-17     issuing bonds for facilities, deemed necessary and desirable by the

2-18     Board to conserve and protect the water in the Edwards Aquifer,

2-19     including the development of alternate water supplies to its

2-20     customers such as surface water sources and reuse or retreatment of

2-21     water owned by the District.  In that connection, the District may

2-22     issue bonds and may acquire, construct, purchase, improve,

2-23     renovate, or take any other similar action to provide facilities

2-24     designed to achieve such purposes, including, but not limited to,

2-25     entering into installment purchase or sale agreements, lease

2-26     purchase agreements, leases, construction contracts, or similar

2-27     agreements with any person upon the terms and containing the

 3-1     provisions determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, to be

 3-2     advantageous to the District.

 3-3                                                                  Puente