| TO: | Honorable Yvonne Davis, Chair, House Committee on Urban Affairs |
| FROM: | John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2212 by Craddick (Relating to the division of certain emergency services districts.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill would add Subchapter I to Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code, to authorize certain emergency services districts located in a county with a population of 125,000 or less to create a new district by disannexing territory from the existing district by ordering a new district to be created in the manner set forth in the provisions of the bill. Requirements would include the district's board holding a public hearing upon receipt of a petition requesting the division, signed by at least 7 percent of the district's qualified voters or at least 100 qualified voters in the district, whichever is less. Notice of the hearing must be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the district once a week for two consecutive weeks.
Upon granting a petition to divide the district, the district board would be required to order an election to be held in the territory of the proposed new district to confirm the division of the existing district. Notice must be published of the election, and the election shall be held on the first authorized uniform election date prescribed by the Election Code that would allow sufficient time to comply with the requirements of law.
The bill establishes the method for appointing a board for the new district if it is located wholly in one county.
Property disannexed would not be released from its pro rata share of any of the district's bonded indebtedness on the date of the disannexation, and the district may continue to tax property in the disannexed territory until that debt is paid as if the territory had not been disannexed.
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JOB, DB
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