C.S.H.B. 3221 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 3221
By: Bohac
Border and International Affairs
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 


Some confusion exists around platting requirements for counties near an
international border. Currently,  232.022, Subchapter B of the Local
Government Code - Subdivision Platting Requirements in a County Near An
International Border, requires platting only for land subdivided into two
or more lots intended primarily for residential use and that a lot is
presumed to be intended primarily for residential use if the lot is five
acres or less. Under  232.0015(f), Subchapter A of the Local Government
Code - Platting Requirements in General, a lot is exempt from platting
requirements in which all of the subdivisions are larger than 10 acres.
C.S.H.B. 3221 would make clear that the owner of a tract of land located
in a county near an international border and located outside of a
municipality is not required to file a plat of the subdivision if all the
lots in the subdivision are 10 acres or larger. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority
to a state office, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3221 amends the Local Government Code to provide that a landowner
whose land is outside of a municipality and in which all of the lots of
his subdivision are ten acres or larger is not required to file a plat of
this subdivision. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.


COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The substitute amends the original by clarifying that this section applies
to lots that are ten acres or larger, rather than larger than ten acres.
The substitute also makes non-substantive technical changes.