By Krusee                                        H.B. No. 620

      75R2916 PAM-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to requiring county approval of certain municipal

 1-3     annexations.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 43, Local Government Code,

 1-6     is amended by adding Section 43.034 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 43.034.  COUNTY APPROVAL REQUIRED FOR MUNICIPAL

 1-8     ANNEXATION IN CERTAIN AREAS.  (a)  This section applies only to a

 1-9     municipality:

1-10                 (1)  that has a population of more than 250,000; and

1-11                 (2)  in which 90 percent of the population reside in

1-12     one county.

1-13           (b)  The municipality may not annex an area that is located

1-14     outside the county in which most of the municipality's population

1-15     resides unless the municipality obtains the written approval of the

1-16     commissioners court of the county in which the area to be annexed

1-17     is located.

1-18           SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act by the

1-19     addition of Section 43.034, Local Government Code, apply only to an

1-20     annexation for which the first hearing notice required by Section

1-21     43.052, Local Government Code, is published on or after the

1-22     effective date of this Act.  An annexation for which the first

1-23     hearing notice is published before that date is governed by the law

1-24     in effect at the time the notice is published, and the former law

 2-1     is continued in effect for that purpose.

 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.