SRC-TAG C.S.S.B. 1725 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 1725
78R12685 EBy: Lindsay
                Natural Resources
4/17/2003
Committee Report (Substituted)

DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the North Harris County Regional Water Authority (authority)
aggregates the water districts in the area to convert ground water to
surface water.  C.S.S.B. 1725 is a clean- up measure to ensure that the
authority is able to effectively serve its MUD members as well as 400,000
residents.  

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 2.02(d), Chapter 1029, Acts of the 76th
Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, as follows:  

(d)  Requires that at the first election after each time the voting
districts are redrawn, directors to be elected only to those positions for
which the term of office is expiring. Requires a director in office on or
elected to office before the effective date of a change in the boundaries
of the voting districts to serve the term of the position to which elected
even though the change in boundaries places the person's residence outside
the district for which the person was elected.  Deletes text regarding the
representation of single-member voting districts; and five new directors
and the drawing of lots to determine their terms. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 4.10, Chapter 1029, Acts of the 76th
Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, by adding Subsection (d), as follows: 

(d)  Authorizes the North Harris County Regional Water Authority
(authority) and a municipality, notwithstanding any inconsistent provision
of general law or home-rule municipal charter or ordinance, to enter into
a contract of unlimited duration. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Sections 5.05(a) and (c), Chapter 1029, Acts of the
76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, as follows: 

(a)  Authorizes, rather than requires, the authority to develop a
procedure for cooperatively funding a project of the authority with money
from other political subdivisions located entirely inside, rather than
districts inside, of the authority's boundaries, and authorizes it to
develop a procedure for cooperatively funding a project of the authority
with money from political subdivisions located in whole or in part outside
the authority's boundaries, water supply corporations, or other private
entities, if the authority project fulfills a governmental purpose of both
the authority and other political subdivisions, or fulfills a governmental
purpose of the authority that the authority determines would be furthered
by cooperative funding from a private entity. 

(c)  Makes conforming changes.  Authorizes, rather than requires, the
authority to perform certain actions. 

SECTION 4.  Repealer: Section 5.05(b), Chapter 1029 (regarding funding by
other districts), Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999.  
 
SECTION 5.  Provides that the change in law made by Section 4.10(d),
Chapter 1029, Acts of the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, as
added by this Act, applies only to a contract between the North Harris
County Regional Water Authority and a municipality that was entered into
after January 1, 2002. 
 
SECTION 6 .  Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2003.