78R3374 MI-F

By:  Wentworth                                                    S.B. No. 1016



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the financing of certain local water, conservation, and 
open-space projects in accordance with the law governing sports and 
community venue projects.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 334.001(4), Local Government Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
		(4)  "Venue" means:                                                           
			(A)  an arena, coliseum, stadium, or other type of 
area or facility:       
				(i)  that is used or is planned for use for 
one or more professional or amateur sports events, community 
events, or other sports events, including rodeos, livestock shows, 
agricultural expositions, promotional events, and other civic or 
charitable events;  and
				(ii)  for which a fee for admission to the 
events is charged or is planned to be charged;
			(B)  a convention center facility or related 
improvement such as a convention center, civic center, civic center 
building, civic center hotel, auditorium, theater, opera house, 
music hall, exhibition hall, rehearsal hall, park, zoological park, 
museum, aquarium, or plaza located in the vicinity of a convention 
center or facility owned by a municipality or a county;
			(C)  a tourist development area along an inland 
waterway;                  
			(D)  a municipal parks and recreation system, or 
improvements or additions to a parks and recreation system, or an 
area or facility that is part of a municipal parks and recreation 
system;  [and]
			(E)  a project authorized by Section 4A or 4B, 
Development Corporation Act of 1979 (Article 5190.6, Vernon's Texas 
Civil Statutes), as that Act existed on September 1, 1997; and
			(F)  a watershed protection and preservation 
project, a conservation easement, an open-space preservation 
program intended to protect water, or any water project authorized 
for a municipality under Chapter 401 or under the Water Code.
	SECTION 2.  Section 334.081, Local Government Code, is 
amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
	(d)  Subsection (c)(1) does not apply to a venue project for 
a venue described by Section 334.001(4)(F).
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.