Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

      By Nixon                                        H.B. No. 3241

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     granting additional powers to the Westchase District.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS.  As used in this Act:

 1-5           (a)  "District" means the Westchase District in Harris

 1-6     County, Texas, which was created by Chapter 491, Acts of the 74th

 1-7     Legislature, Regular Session, 1995.

 1-8           (b)  "Enabling act" means Chapter 491, Acts of the 74th

 1-9     Legislature, Regular Session, 1995.

1-10           SECTION 2.  DISTRICT POWERS.  In addition to the powers

1-11     granted to the District by the enabling act, the District shall

1-12     have the following additional powers and authority:

1-13           (a)  The authority to grant, without further authority or

1-14     procedural requirement, abatements for taxes and/or assessments

1-15     owed to the District consistent with the terms of Chapter 312, Tax

1-16     Code.

1-17           (b)  All laws or provisions of laws referenced in this Act

1-18     and subsequent amendments to those laws are adopted and

1-19     incorporated into this Act for all purposes and may be used by the

1-20     District independently of each other.  If any provision of the

1-21     referenced laws is in conflict with or inconsistent with this Act,

1-22     this Act prevails.

1-23           SECTION 3.  VALIDATION.  All governmental acts and

1-24     proceedings of the District and its board of directors are hereby

 2-1     validated.

 2-2           SECTION 4.  SEVERABILITY CLAUSE.  The provisions of this Act

 2-3     are severable, and if any provision or part of this Act or the

 2-4     application thereof to any person or circumstance is held by a

 2-5     court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unconstitutional

 2-6     for any reason, the remainder of this Act and the application of

 2-7     that provision or part of this Act to other persons or

 2-8     circumstances is not affected.

 2-9           SECTION 5.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

2-10     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-14     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-15     passage, and it is so enacted.