75R13257 JJT-D                          

         By Barrientos                                         S.B. No. 1809

         Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1809:

         By Lewis of Orange                                C.S.S.B. No. 1809

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the operation of the Wells Branch Municipal Utility

 1-3     District in Travis and Williamson counties and to the powers of the

 1-4     district and a municipality to enter into certain contracts.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  DEFINITION.  In this Act, "district" means the

 1-7     Wells Branch Municipal Utility District, located in Travis and

 1-8     Williamson counties.

 1-9           SECTION 2.  PURPOSE.  The purpose of this Act is to meet the

1-10     special needs of the Wells Branch Municipal Utility District, which

1-11     was created and operates under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas

1-12     Constitution.

1-13           SECTION 3.  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.  The legislature finds that

1-14     there exists a public necessity to amend the law governing the

1-15     Wells Branch Municipal Utility District pursuant to Section 59,

1-16     Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and that this Act will further the

1-17     conservation and development of the natural resources of the state

1-18     within this district.

1-19           SECTION 4.  CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE WELLS BRANCH MUNICIPAL

1-20     UTILITY DISTRICT AND A MUNICIPALITY.  (a)  The Wells Branch

1-21     Municipal Utility District and a municipality may enter into a

1-22     contract for the district to make payments to the municipality for

1-23     a purpose the governing body of the district determines will

1-24     further regional cooperation between the district and the

 2-1     municipality and may include in a contract other terms or

 2-2     considerations the district and the municipality find reasonable

 2-3     and appropriate.

 2-4           (b)  A contract entered into under this section:

 2-5                 (1)  may be for a term that is mutually agreeable to

 2-6     the parties;

 2-7                 (2)  may be renewed or extended;

 2-8                 (3)  may provide that the district will remain in

 2-9     existence and be exempt from annexation by the municipality for the

2-10     term of the contract; and

2-11                 (4)  is binding on all subsequent governing bodies of

2-12     the district and of the municipality for the term of the contract.

2-13           (c)  The district may make annual appropriations from the

2-14     district's operations and maintenance tax or other revenue

2-15     available to the district to make payments to a municipality under

2-16     a contract entered into under this section.

2-17           (d)  A municipality may not annex the district until after

2-18     December 31, 2014.

2-19           SECTION 5.  FINDINGS RELATING TO PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS.

2-20     (a)  The proper and legal notice of the intention to introduce this

2-21     Act, setting forth the general substance of this Act, has been

2-22     published as provided by law, and the notice and a copy of  this

2-23     Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies, officials, or

2-24     entities to which they are required to be furnished by the

2-25     constitution and other laws of this state, including the governor,

2-26     who has submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Natural Resource

2-27     Conservation Commission.

 3-1           (b)  The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission has

 3-2     filed its recommendations  relating to this Act with the governor,

 3-3     lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives

 3-4     within the required time.

 3-5           (c)  All requirements of the constitution and laws of this

 3-6     state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect

 3-7     to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled

 3-8     and accomplished.

 3-9           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-14     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-15     passage, and it is so enacted.