SRC-TAG S.B. 898 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 898
By: Averitt
Natural Resources
7/8/2003
Enrolled

DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

S.B. 898 provides that certain municipal utility districts are not
required to provide escrow funds to the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ) to secure bond financing for certain projects. This bill
does not waive the requirement for municipal utility districts to provide
engineering plans for proposed projects to TCEQ, nor does it impact TCEQ's
authority to review the technical merits of proposed projects.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 49.181(h), Water Code, to provide that this
section does not apply to a district if the district, on September 1,
2003:  is a municipal utility district that includes territory in only two
counties; has outstanding long-term indebtedness that is rated BBB or
better by a nationally recognized rating agency for municipal securities;
and has at least 5,000 active water connections. 

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.