BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2173

By: Pickett

Border & Intergovernmental Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In July 2007, the El Paso City Council created a separate utility to manage storm water drainage and transferred the responsibility for storm water management and control to the El Paso Water Utilities Public Service Board. The board began managing the new storm water utility on March 1, 2008, and charging fees to property owners, which included the El Paso Independent School District and El Paso Coun ty, in addition to other entities.

H.B. 2173 exempts El Paso County and the El Paso Independent School District from having to pay storm water drainage fees.

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

H.B. 2173 amends Local Government Code provisions relating to municipal utilities, as effective April 1, 2009, to require a municipality of more than 500,000 population located within 50 miles of an international border to exempt property owned by a county or school district from drainage charges and all ordinances, resolutions, and rules adopted under provisions related to municipal drainage utility systems.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.