BILL ANALYSIS
By: Hegar
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
There are counties in Texas where a majority of residential areas lie in unincorporated areas, and current statute allows county annexes to be established only in municipalities. This statute creates a situation where these residents are not adequately served because they do not have direct access to the county services that are only available in a city.
C.S.H.B. 571 will allow counties to establish auxiliary county facilities in unincorporated areas. C.S.H.B. 571 will also provide counties with the opportunity to create and maintain branch offices so that they may more effectively and efficiently serve these areas and constituents.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 292, Local Government Code, by adding Section 292.030 which authorizes the commissioners court of a county to provide a branch office in the unincorporated area of a county. It also authorizes any county officer to maintain an office, and the county to provide any county service at the branch office in addition to any other location required by law.
SECTION 2. Effective Date
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2005.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The original bill provided a population bracket. C.S.H.B. 571 removes the population bracket, and allows the bill to affect all Texas counties.