By:  Barrientos                                       S.B. No. 1809

         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

                                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, Texas.

 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 Article XVI, Section 59 of the 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 Article XVI, Section

1-15     59 of the 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 B, 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

 2-1     District.

 2-2           (a)  Wells Branch Municipal Utility District is authorized to

 2-3     contract with a municipality:

 2-4                 (1)  to provide for payments to be made to the

 2-5     municipality for purposes that the governing body of the District

 2-6     determines will further regional cooperation between the District

 2-7     and the municipality; and

 2-8                 (2)  to provide other lawful terms and considerations

 2-9     that the District and the municipality agree are reasonable and

2-10     appropriate.

2-11                 (3)  A contract entered into under this section may be

2-12     for a term that is mutually agreeable to the parties.  The parties

2-13     to such a contract may renew or extend the contract.

2-14           (b)  A municipality may contract with the District to

2-15     accomplish the purposes set forth in Subsection (a).  In a contract

2-16     entered into under this section, a municipality may agree that the

2-17     District will remain in existence and be exempt from annexation by

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

2-19           (c)  A contract entered into under this section will be

2-20     binding upon all subsequent governing bodies of the District and of

2-21     the municipality for the term of the contract.

2-22           (d)  The District may make annual appropriations from its

2-23     operations and maintenance tax or other revenues lawfully available

2-24     to the District to make payments to a municipality under a contract

2-25     entered into under this section.

 3-1           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-7     passage, and it is so enacted.