By:  Barrientos                                       S.B. No. 1809

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the administration, powers, duties, operation, and

 1-2     financing of Wells Branch Municipal Utility District in Travis and

 1-3     Williamson Counties.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  DEFINITION.  In this Act, "district" means Wells

 1-6     Branch Municipal Utility District, located in Travis and Williamson

 1-7     Counties, Texas.

 1-8           SECTION 2.  PURPOSE.  The purpose of this Act is to meet the

 1-9     special needs of Wells Branch Municipal Utility District, which was

1-10     created and operates under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas

1-11     Constitution.

1-12           SECTION 3.  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.  The legislature finds that

1-13     there exists a public necessity to amend the law governing Wells

1-14     Branch Municipal Utility District pursuant to Section 59, Article

1-15     XVI, Texas Constitution, and that this Act will further the

1-16     conservation and development of the natural resources of the state

1-17     within this district.

1-18           SECTION 4.  AUTHORITY OF WELLS BRANCH MUNICIPAL UTILITY

1-19     DISTRICT.  Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Local Government Code, is

1-20     amended by adding Section 42.049 to read as follows:

1-21           Sec. 42.049.  AUTHORITY OF WELLS BRANCH MUNICIPAL UTILITY

1-22     DISTRICT.  (a)(1)  Wells Branch Municipal Utility district is

1-23     authorized to contract with a municipality:

 2-1                       (A)  to provide for payments to be made to the

 2-2     municipality for purposes that the governing body of the district

 2-3     determines will further regional cooperation between the district

 2-4     and the municipality; and

 2-5                       (B)  to provide other lawful terms and

 2-6     considerations that the district and the municipality agree are

 2-7     reasonable and appropriate.

 2-8                 (2)  A contract entered into under this section may be

 2-9     for a term that is mutually agreeable to the parties.  The parties

2-10     to such a contract may renew or extend the contract.

2-11           (b)  A municipality may contract with the district to

2-12     accomplish the purposes set forth in Subsection (a).  In a contract

2-13     entered into under this section, a municipality may agree that the

2-14     district will remain in existence and be exempt from annexation by

2-15     the municipality for the term of the contract.

2-16           (c)  A contract entered into under this section will be

2-17     binding on all subsequent governing bodies of the district and of

2-18     the municipality for the term of the contract.

2-19           (d)  The district may make annual appropriations from its

2-20     operations and maintenance tax or other revenues lawfully available

2-21     to the district to make payments to a municipality under a contract

2-22     entered into under this section.

2-23           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-24     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-25     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-3     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-4     passage, and it is so enacted.