BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 2212
80R9739 DRH-D By: Guillen (Zaffirini)
International Relations & Trade
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In counties along the Texas-Mexico border, many of today's small municipalities began as informal, unstructured settlements. As settlements close to one another grew together, the district boundaries and municipal governments remained separate. Today, a serious concern for these municipalities is the lack of a sufficient tax base. Current law authorizes two or more contiguous municipalities in the same county to consolidate under one government, making that new municipality more capable of providing necessary services its constituents. The law does not, however, allow two or more noncontiguous municipalities to join together, even if only separated by 2.5 miles or less.
H.B. 2212 authorizes two or more noncontiguous municipalities in the same county that are separated by not more than 2.5 miles and are located within one mile of an international boundary to consolidate under one government.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 61.001, Government Code, to authorize two or more contiguous municipalities in the same county, or two noncontiguous municipalities in the same county if the distance between the two municipalities is less than 2.5 miles and each municipality is located within one mile of an international boundary, to consolidate under one government in a certain manner.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.