By Marchant                                           H.B. No. 2659
         77R5037 JMG-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the authority of a political subdivision to offer
 1-3     certain alarm services.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 7(b), Article 5.43-2, Insurance Code, is
 1-6     amended to read as follows:
 1-7           (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), a political
 1-8     subdivision other than a municipality may not offer residential
 1-9     alarm system sales, service, installation, or monitoring unless it
1-10     has been providing monitoring services to residences within the
1-11     boundaries of the political subdivision as of September 1, 1999.
1-12     Any fee charged by the political subdivision may not exceed the
1-13     cost of the monitoring.
1-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-15     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-16     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-17     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-18     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.