BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1471
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, Harris County is part of the Houston-Galveston Area Council, a regional planning commission comprised of 13 counties. This bill allows Harris County, the state's most populous county, to create a regional planning commission of municipalities and local government organizations within the county. This bill prohibits Harris Count y from creating a regional planning commission with any other county.
As proposed, S.B. 1471 amends current law relating to the composition of certain regional planning commissions.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 391.003, Local Government Code, by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1), as follows:
(a) Authorizes any combination of counties or municipalities or of counties and municipalities, except as provided by Subsection (a-1), to agree, by ordinance, resolution, rule, order, or other means, to establish a commission.
(a-1) Provides that a county with a population of 3.3 million or more is authorized to agree to establish a commission as provided by Subsection (a) only with municipalities located wholly or partly in the county, and is prohibited from establishing a commission with another county.
SECTION 2. Requires any county described by Section 391.003(a-1), Local Government Code, as added by this Act, not later than November 1, 2009, participating in a regional planning commission that does not comply with Section 391.003(a-1), Local Government Code, to withdraw from the commission.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.