HBA-LJP S.B. 1776 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1776 By: Lindsay Natural Resources 5/10/2001 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Constitution provides for the creation of conservation and reclamation districts which are authorized to incur debt to provide permanent improvements such as water distribution facilities, wastewater collection and transportation lines, and drainage projects. Senate Bill 1776 creates the Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 387, subject to voter approval at a confirmation election. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 1776 creates the Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 387 (district), subject to voter approval at a confirmation election. If the creation of the district is not confirmed before September 1, 2003, this Act expires. The bill sets forth the boundaries of the district (SECTIONS 1, 3, 14). The bill provides that the district is governed by a board of five directors (board) and sets forth provisions regarding the election, terms, qualifications, eligibility, vacancy, and officers of the directors (SECTIONS 8-11). The bill prohibits the district from imposing an impact fee or assessment on the property, equipment, rights of way, facilities, or improvements of an electric utility, power generation company, or a gas utility. The bill authorizes the district to relocate, raise, reroute, change the grade of, or alter the construction of a highway, railroad, electric transmission line, pipeline, canal, or drainage ditch and provides for the compensation of these operations to interested parties. The bill requires the district to comply with all valid and applicable requirements of any ordinance or resolution adopted by the city council of the City of Houston that consents to the creation of the district or to the inclusion of lands within the district (SECTIONS 6, 7, 12). EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee Amendment No. 1 includes the property, equipment, rights of way, facilities, or improvements of telecommunications providers in the property on which the Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 387 (district) is prohibited from imposing an impact fee or assessment. The amendment also includes telecommunications or other public utility facilities among the structures that the district is authorized to change the grade of, alter the construction of, relocate, raise, or reroute.