BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1522
By: Shapleigh
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The 80th Legislature, Regular Session, 2007, passed legislation that enabled the City of El Paso to charge drainage fees to property owners. The fees are used to make improvements designed to reduce flooding and address the appropriate drainage of storm water. Current law exempts only the city, universities, and state buildings from paying the fee. School districts are political subdivisions of the state but are not considered state agencies and therefore are not exempt from the fee. With bills in the range of several thousand dollars each month, school districts need relief.
S.B. 1522 exempts property owned by a school district wholly or partly in a certain municipality from certain drainage charges and all ordinances, resolutions, and rules adopted under Subchapter C (Municipal Drainage Utility Systems), Chapter 552 (Municipal Utilities), Local Government Code.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 552.053, Local Government Code, as effective April 1, 2009, by adding Subsection (e) to exempt property owned by a school district located wholly or partly in a municipality described by Section 552.044(8)(A) (relating to prohibiting a municipality from extending a service area outside of its boundaries except a municipality of more than 500,000 population located within 50 miles of an international border) from drainage charges under Section 552.047 (Drainage Charges) and all ordinances, resolutions, and rules adopted under this subchapter.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2009.