AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the authority of a political subdivision to prepare and
 1-2     implement a regional habitat conservation plan or habitat
 1-3     conservation plan or to enter into a conservation agreement.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 83, Parks and Wildlife Code, is amended
 1-6     by designating Sections 83.001 through 83.004 as Subchapter A and
 1-7     adding a heading to Subchapter A to read as follows:
 1-8                   SUBCHAPTER A.  FEDERAL-STATE AGREEMENTS
 1-9           SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 83, Parks and Wildlife
1-10     Code, as designated by this Act, is amended by adding Section
1-11     83.005 to read as follows:
1-12           Sec. 83.005.  CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS FOR PROTECTION OF
1-13     SPECIES.  (a)  Any conservation agreement between a political
1-14     subdivision of the state and the United States Department of the
1-15     Interior must be developed in consultation with the Parks and
1-16     Wildlife Department.
1-17           (b)  In this section, "conservation agreement" includes an
1-18     agreement between the state or a political subdivision of the state
1-19     and the United States Department of the Interior under the federal
1-20     act that does not relate to a federal permit as defined by Section
1-21     83.011.
1-22           SECTION 3.  Chapter 83, Parks and Wildlife Code, is amended
1-23     by adding Subchapter B to read as follows:
 2-1         SUBCHAPTER B.  HABITAT PROTECTION BY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
 2-2           Sec. 83.011.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
 2-3                 (1)  "Biological advisory team" means three or more
 2-4     professional biologists retained to provide biological guidance to
 2-5     plan participants.
 2-6                 (2)  "Endangered species" means a species listed by the
 2-7     United States Department of the Interior as endangered or
 2-8     threatened under the federal act.
 2-9                 (3)  "Federal act" means the federal Endangered Species
2-10     Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. Section 1531 et seq.), as amended.
2-11                 (4)  "Federal permit" means a permit issued under
2-12     Section 7 or 10(a) of the federal act.
2-13                 (5)  "Governmental entity" means a political
2-14     subdivision of the state, including:
2-15                       (A)  a municipality; and
2-16                       (B)  a county.
2-17                 (6)  "Habitat conservation plan" means a plan or
2-18     program to protect endangered species by habitat preserves or other
2-19     protection strategies developed in order to obtain a federal
2-20     permit:
2-21                       (A)  that does not require the regulation of
2-22     non-habitat preserve land; and
2-23                       (B)  for which the land to be used as habitat
2-24     preserves, at the time of application for the federal permit:
2-25                             (i)  is owned by a plan participant; or
2-26                             (ii)  is subject to a contract agreed to by
 3-1     each owner of land in the habitat preserve or proposed habitat
 3-2     preserve providing that all or part of the owner's land be used or
 3-3     managed as a habitat preserve.
 3-4                 (7)  "Habitat preserve" means land set aside or managed
 3-5     for the protection of endangered species under a federal permit.
 3-6                 (8)  "Harm" means significant habitat modification or
 3-7     degradation that, by significantly impairing essential behavioral
 3-8     patterns, including breeding, feeding, sheltering, or migrating, is
 3-9     the proximate cause of:
3-10                       (A)  the death of a member of an endangered
3-11     species; or
3-12                       (B)  the physical injury of a member of an
3-13     endangered species.
3-14                 (9)  "Land development standards" means rules or
3-15     ordinances regulating the development of land, including impervious
3-16     cover limitations, building setbacks, zoning, floor-to-area ratios,
3-17     building coverage, water quality controls and regulations,
3-18     landscaping, building height, development setbacks, compatibility
3-19     standards, traffic analyses, driveway cuts, impact fees, and
3-20     transfer of development rights.  The term does not include fire or
3-21     building codes or restrictions on the withdrawal of groundwater.
3-22                 (10)  "Mitigation fee" means a charge or in-kind
3-23     contribution that is based on the amount of harm and is paid or
3-24     provided to a plan participant in exchange for mitigation credit to
3-25     be used to comply with the federal act.
3-26                 (11)  "Plan participant" means a governmental entity
 4-1     that develops, attempts to develop, adopts, approves, or
 4-2     participates in a regional habitat conservation plan or habitat
 4-3     conservation plan.
 4-4                 (12)  "Regional habitat conservation plan" means a plan
 4-5     or program to protect endangered species by habitat preserves or
 4-6     other protection strategies developed in order to obtain a federal
 4-7     permit that requires the acquisition or regulation of land or
 4-8     interests in land not owned by a plan participant at the time of
 4-9     application for a federal permit.
4-10           Sec. 83.012.  PURPOSE.  The purpose of this subchapter is to:
4-11                 (1)  establish the requirements for and authority of a
4-12     governmental entity to regulate wildlife through the development,
4-13     financing, and implementation of a regional habitat conservation
4-14     plan or a habitat conservation plan;
4-15                 (2)  encourage governmental entities to use the
4-16     authority under this subchapter to develop and implement habitat
4-17     conservation plans instead of regional habitat conservation plans;
4-18                 (3)  coordinate, to the greatest extent practicable,
4-19     habitat preserves with lands set aside or to be set aside under
4-20     local, state, or federal laws or regulations;
4-21                 (4)  prohibit plan participants from devaluing land
4-22     containing endangered species or endangered species habitat through
4-23     plan participant actions; and
4-24                 (5)  require plan participants of existing regional
4-25     habitat conservation plans to comply with the requirements of this
4-26     subchapter so that existing regional habitat conservation plans
 5-1     become habitat conservation plans as quickly as possible.
 5-2           Sec. 83.013.  AUTHORITY OF DEPARTMENT OR POLITICAL
 5-3     SUBDIVISION.  (a)  The department or a political subdivision may
 5-4     participate in the study and preparation for and creation of a
 5-5     habitat conservation plan.
 5-6           (b)  Subject to this subchapter, the department or a
 5-7     political subdivision may participate in the study and preparation
 5-8     for and creation of a regional habitat conservation plan.
 5-9           (c)  Subject to this subchapter, a political subdivision,
5-10     including a municipality acting within its corporate limits or its
5-11     extraterritorial jurisdiction, in order to facilitate the creation
5-12     of a habitat preserve and the setting aside of land to protect a
5-13     species protected under a conservation agreement, may:
5-14                 (1)  purchase land, easements, or leases; and
5-15                 (2)  enter into an agreement with a landowner to
5-16     establish alternative land development standards for a tract of
5-17     land.
5-18           (d)  A plan participant may apply for a federal permit in
5-19     conjunction with a regional habitat conservation plan only if the
5-20     qualified voters of a plan participant have authorized the issuance
5-21     of bonds or other debt financing in an amount equal to the
5-22     estimated cost of acquiring all land for habitat preserves within
5-23     the time required by this subchapter or the plan participant has
5-24     demonstrated that adequate sources of funding exist to acquire all
5-25     land for habitat preserves within the time required by this
5-26     subchapter.
 6-1           (e)  A governmental entity may not implement a regional
 6-2     habitat conservation plan or apply for a federal permit in
 6-3     conjunction with a regional habitat conservation plan if:
 6-4                 (1)  the federal act is repealed; or
 6-5                 (2)  the endangered species that are subject to
 6-6     conservation and protection under the federal permit cease to be
 6-7     listed as endangered or threatened by the United States Department
 6-8     of the Interior.
 6-9           Sec. 83.014.  LIMITATION OF POWERS.  (a)  A governmental
6-10     entity may not impose a regulation, rule, or ordinance related to
6-11     endangered species unless the regulation, rule, or ordinance is
6-12     necessary to implement a habitat conservation plan or regional
6-13     habitat conservation plan for which the governmental entity was
6-14     issued a federal permit.  This subsection does not limit the
6-15     authority of a governmental entity to adopt a rule, regulation, or
6-16     ordinance restricting the withdrawal of groundwater.
6-17           (b)  A governmental entity may not discriminate against a
6-18     permit application, permit approval, or the provision of utility
6-19     service for land that:
6-20                 (1)  is or has been designated as habitat preserve or
6-21     potential habitat preserve in a regional habitat conservation plan
6-22     or habitat conservation plan;
6-23                 (2)  is designated as critical habitat under the
6-24     federal act; or
6-25                 (3)  has endangered species or endangered species
6-26     habitat.
 7-1           (c)  A governmental entity may not deny or limit available
 7-2     water or wastewater service to land in the service area of the
 7-3     governmental entity that has been designated as habitat preserve or
 7-4     potential habitat preserve in a regional habitat conservation plan
 7-5     or in a habitat conservation plan.  For purposes of this
 7-6     subsection, a governmental entity may not remove land from its
 7-7     water or wastewater utility service areas after the date
 7-8     established under Section 83.018(b).
 7-9           (d)  A governmental entity may not, as a condition for the
7-10     issuance of a permit, approval, or service, require a person to:
7-11                 (1)  pay a mitigation fee to a plan participant;
7-12                 (2)  set aside, lease, or convey land as habitat
7-13     preserve; or
7-14                 (3)  pay a mitigation fee for land set aside or
7-15     restricted from development under local, state, or federal law or
7-16     regulation.
7-17           Sec. 83.015.  BIOLOGICAL REVIEW; CRITERIA.  (a)  A regional
7-18     habitat conservation plan, including any mitigation fee, shall be
7-19     based on the amount of harm to each endangered species to be
7-20     protected under the regional habitat conservation plan.
7-21           (b)  The size of proposed habitat preserves shall be based
7-22     solely on the amount of harm to the endangered species to be
7-23     protected in the regional habitat conservation plan.
7-24           (c)  The plan participants, together with the commission and
7-25     the landowner members of the citizens advisory committee, shall
7-26     appoint a biological advisory team.  At least one member shall be
 8-1     appointed by the commission and one member by the landowner members
 8-2     of the citizens advisory committee.  The member appointed by the
 8-3     commission serves as presiding officer of the team.  The team shall
 8-4     assist in:
 8-5                 (1)  the calculation of harm to the endangered species;
 8-6     and
 8-7                 (2)  the sizing and configuring of the habitat
 8-8     preserves.
 8-9           (d)  Meetings of the biological advisory team are subject to
8-10     the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code, and all work
8-11     product of the biological advisory team is subject to the open
8-12     records law, Chapter 552, Government Code.
8-13           Sec. 83.016.  CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.  (a)  The plan
8-14     participants shall appoint a citizens advisory committee to assist
8-15     in preparing the regional habitat conservation plan and the
8-16     application for a federal permit.
8-17           (b)  At least four members or 33 percent of the citizens
8-18     advisory committee, whichever is greater in number, must own
8-19     undeveloped land or land in agricultural use in the regional
8-20     habitat conservation plan area.  A landowner member may not be an
8-21     employee or elected official of a plan participant or any other
8-22     local, state, or federal governmental entity.
8-23           (c)  Not later than the 90th day after the initial
8-24     identification of the proposed preserve system for the regional
8-25     habitat conservation plan, the plan participants shall appoint one
8-26     additional landowner, who owns land within the proposed habitat
 9-1     preserve system, to the citizens advisory committee.  The
 9-2     additional landowner member must comply with Subsection (b).
 9-3           (d)  The commission shall appoint one representative to the
 9-4     citizens advisory committee.  The commission's representative is a
 9-5     voting member of the committee.
 9-6           Sec. 83.017.  DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL HABITAT CONSERVATION
 9-7     PLAN.  (a)  Meetings of the citizens advisory committee and
 9-8     meetings of the plan participants regarding planning, development,
 9-9     and implementation of the regional habitat conservation plan are
9-10     subject to the open meetings law, Chapter 551, Government Code.
9-11           (b)  All data, reports, and other information regarding the
9-12     regional habitat conservation plan, including field notes, lab
9-13     notes, and any other information relied on by the biological
9-14     advisory team, are subject to the open records law, Chapter 552,
9-15     Government Code.
9-16           (c)  Not later than the 60th day after the initial
9-17     identification of the proposed habitat preserve system for the
9-18     federal permit, the plan participants shall notify in writing each
9-19     owner of land identified by the plan participants as habitat
9-20     preserve or potential habitat preserve.  The plan participants
9-21     shall use the county tax rolls to identify the owners of land
9-22     identified as habitat preserve or potential habitat preserve.  The
9-23     written notice must include at least the following information:
9-24                 (1)  the tax identification and parcel numbers;
9-25                 (2)  the owner's name and address;
9-26                 (3)  an explanation of the designation or possible
 10-1    designation of the tract as habitat preserve or potential habitat
 10-2    preserve under the regional habitat conservation plan;
 10-3                (4)  identification of the citizens advisory committee
 10-4    members, including telephone numbers, addresses, and the group that
 10-5    each committee member represents;
 10-6                (5)  identification of employees or agents of plan
 10-7    participants who can provide information about the regional habitat
 10-8    conservation plan;
 10-9                (6)  the date of the next citizens advisory committee
10-10    meeting or plan participant meeting regarding the regional habitat
10-11    conservation plan; and
10-12                (7)  a description of the status of the regional
10-13    habitat conservation plan.
10-14          Sec. 83.018.  PRESERVE ACQUISITION.  (a)  The designation of
10-15    a tract of land as habitat preserve or potential habitat preserve
10-16    or the presence of endangered species or endangered species habitat
10-17    may not be considered in determining the fair market value of the
10-18    property for acquisition as a habitat preserve.
10-19          (b)  A change to plan participant rules and regulations,
10-20    including land development standards, that occurs after the
10-21    earliest date that the biological advisory team, citizens advisory
10-22    committee, or plan participant initially identifies a tract of land
10-23    as habitat preserve or potential habitat preserve may not be
10-24    considered in determining the fair market value of the land for
10-25    acquisition as a habitat preserve.
10-26          (c)  The plan participants shall make offers based on fair
 11-1    market value to the landowners for the acquisition of fee simple or
 11-2    other interest in land designated in the regional habitat
 11-3    conservation plan as habitat preserve not later than two years
 11-4    after the issuance of the federal permit or three years after the
 11-5    initial application for the federal permit, whichever is earlier.
 11-6    Acquisition of all habitat preserves must be completed not later
 11-7    than the fourth anniversary of the date on which the federal permit
 11-8    was issued.  A plan participant subject to this subsection who does
 11-9    not meet an applicable deadline shall file an application to amend
11-10    the federal permit to remove the nonacquired habitat preserve land
11-11    from the regional habitat conservation plan as a habitat preserve
11-12    not later than the 60th day after the fourth anniversary of the
11-13    date on which the federal permit was issued.
11-14          Sec. 83.019.  NOTICE AND HEARING REQUIREMENTS.  (a)  A plan
11-15    participant must comply with the notice and hearing requirements of
11-16    this section before adopting any regional habitat conservation
11-17    plan, plan amendment, ordinance, budget, fee schedule, rule,
11-18    regulation, or order to implement this subchapter.
11-19          (b)  The plan participant, individually or through interlocal
11-20    contract, shall publish a notice, including a brief description of
11-21    the proposed action and the time and place of a public hearing on
11-22    the proposed action, not later than the 30th day before the public
11-23    hearing in the newspaper of largest general circulation in the
11-24    county in which the plan participant proposing the action is
11-25    located.
11-26          (c)  A public hearing on the proposed action shall be held at
 12-1    the time and place specified in the notice.
 12-2          Sec. 83.020.  GRIEVANCE WITH DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL HABITAT
 12-3    CONSERVATION PLAN.  (a)  An individual appointed to a citizens
 12-4    advisory committee under Section 83.016(b) may file a grievance
 12-5    with the commission regarding the development of a regional habitat
 12-6    conservation plan under this subchapter if the individual believes
 12-7    that the plan is being developed in violation of this subchapter.
 12-8    The individual filing the grievance must have been a member of the
 12-9    citizens advisory committee for the plan named in the grievance.
12-10          (b)  A grievance must be filed under this section not later
12-11    than the 60th day after the date the plan is approved by the plan
12-12    participants.  The grievance must cite each provision of this
12-13    subchapter alleged to have been violated during the development of
12-14    the plan and must describe each act alleged to have violated this
12-15    subchapter.
12-16          (c)  The commission shall review a grievance filed under this
12-17    section to determine whether the plan is being developed in
12-18    compliance with this subchapter.  If after reviewing the grievance
12-19    the commission finds that the grievance has no merit, the
12-20    commission may dismiss the grievance.  If the commission finds that
12-21    the grievance does have merit, the commission must hold a public
12-22    hearing in accordance with Chapter 551, Government Code.  The
12-23    commission shall take testimony from  each plan participant and
12-24    from the individual filing the grievance.  On conclusion of
12-25    testimony, the commission shall vote on whether to approve or
12-26    dismiss the grievance or to schedule a public hearing not later
 13-1    than the 30th day after the conclusion of the initial public
 13-2    hearing and to vote after the conclusion of that hearing whether to
 13-3    approve or dismiss the grievance.
 13-4          (d)  If the commission approves the grievance, the commission
 13-5    shall instruct the plan participant or participants to amend the
 13-6    plan so that it will comply with this subchapter.  The plan
 13-7    participant may not submit an application for a federal permit
 13-8    until the commission is satisfied that its instructions to amend
 13-9    the plan to comply with this subchapter have been carried out.
13-10          (e)  A plan participant in a plan that is the subject of a
13-11    grievance filed with the commission may not submit an application
13-12    for a federal permit before the commission:
13-13                (1)  has dismissed the grievance; or
13-14                (2)  if the commission approves the grievance, has
13-15    determined that the commission's recommended amendments to the plan
13-16    have been made.
13-17          (f)  If an individual files a grievance under this section,
13-18    that individual may not file a subsequent grievance.
13-19          SECTION 4.  (a)  Section 83.006, Parks and Wildlife Code, is
13-20    repealed.
13-21          (b)  The repeal by this Act of Section 83.006, Parks and
13-22    Wildlife Code, notwithstanding, a county may continue to enforce a
13-23    regional habitat conservation plan that has been formally approved
13-24    by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as authorized by
13-25    Subdivision (2), Subsection (c), Section 83.006, Parks and Wildlife
13-26    Code, as that section existed immediately before its repeal by this
 14-1    Act, and that former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 14-2          SECTION 5.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
 14-3    section, this Act applies only to a regional habitat conservation
 14-4    plan for which an application for a federal permit was submitted on
 14-5    or after January 1, 1999.
 14-6          (b)  Subsections (a) and (b), Section 83.018, Parks and
 14-7    Wildlife Code, as added by this Act, apply to the acquisition of
 14-8    land by a regional habitat conservation plan for which a federal
 14-9    permit was issued before September 1, 1999, regardless of the date
14-10    the application was submitted.
14-11          SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
                                                               S.B. No. 1272
         ________________________________   ________________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1272 passed the Senate on
         April 23, 1999, by a viva-voce vote; May 11, 1999, Senate refused
         to concur in House amendments and requested appointment of
         Conference Committee; May 13, 1999, House granted request of the
         Senate; May 24, 1999, Senate adopted Conference Committee Report by
         a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1272 passed the House, with
         amendments, on May 6, 1999, by a non-record vote; May 13, 1999,
         House granted request of the Senate for appointment of Conference
         Committee; May 20, 1999, House adopted Conference Committee Report
         by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         ________________________________
                      Date
         ________________________________
                    Governor