By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1816
 
  (Raymond)
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to county and municipal land development regulation.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 405.021, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (g-1) to read as follows:
         (g-1)  A system described by Subsection (g):
               (1)  must include a method for a municipality or
  county, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, to nominate
  an area for identification as a colonia; and
               (2)  may provide for the review of a nominated area by
  the Texas Water Development Board, the office of the attorney
  general, or any other appropriate state agency as determined by the
  secretary of state.
         SECTION 2.  Subsections (a) and (d), Section 232.022, Local
  Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  This subchapter applies only to:
               (1)  a county any part of which is located within 50
  miles of an international border; [or]
               (2)  a county:
                     (A)  any part of which is located within 100 miles
  of an international border;
                     (B)  that contains the majority of the area of a
  municipality with a population of more than 250,000; and
                     (C)  to which Subdivision (1) does not apply; or
               (3)  a county in which the commissioners court by
  order:
                     (A)  has adopted the model rules adopted under
  Section 16.343, Water Code; and
                     (B)  elects to operate under this subchapter.
         (d)  This subchapter does not apply if all [each] of the lots
  of the subdivision are more than [is] 10 [or more] acres.
         SECTION 3.  Section 232.023, Local Government Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A subdivider of land must have a plat of the subdivision
  prepared if at least one of the lots of the subdivision is five
  acres or less.  A commissioners court by order may require a
  subdivider of land to prepare a plat if none of the lots is five
  acres or less but at least one of the lots of a subdivision is more
  than five acres but not more than 10 acres.
         (a-1)  A subdivision of a tract under this section
  [subsection] includes a subdivision of real property by any method
  of conveyance, including a contract for deed, oral contract,
  contract of sale, or other type of executory contract, regardless
  of whether the subdivision is made by using a metes and bounds
  description.
         SECTION 4.  Section 232.072, Local Government Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The owner of a tract of land that divides the tract in
  any manner that creates at least one lot [lots] of five acres or
  less intended for residential purposes must have a plat of the
  subdivision prepared.  A commissioners court by order may require
  each subdivider of land to prepare a plat if none of the lots is five
  acres or less but at least one of the lots of the subdivision is more
  than five acres but not more than 10 acres.
         (a-1)  A subdivision of a tract under this section includes a
  subdivision of real property by any method of conveyance, including
  a contract for deed, oral contract, contract of sale, or other type
  of executory contract, regardless of whether the subdivision is
  made by using a metes and bounds description.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 233, Local Government
  Code, is amended by adding Section 233.902 to read as follows:
         Sec. 233.902.  CONNECTION OF UTILITIES:  RESIDENTIAL
  STRUCTURE. A utility may not serve or connect any residential
  structure with permanent water, sewer, electricity, gas, or other
  utility service unless the utility receives a certificate issued by
  the commissioners court certifying that the residential structure
  complies with all county regulations applicable to the structure.
         SECTION 6.  Section 16.343, Water Code, is amended by adding
  Subsection (f) and amending Subsection (g) to read as follows:
         (f)  To augment regulatory compliance by political
  subdivisions, the model rules may impose requirements for platting,
  replatting, or any other method authorized by law.  Notwithstanding
  any other law to the contrary, a political subdivision that has
  adopted the model rules under this section may impose the platting
  requirements of Chapter 212 or 232, Local Government Code, as
  applicable to a division of real property that is required to be
  platted or replatted by the provisions of the model rules.
         (g)  Before an application for funds under Section 15.407 or
  Subchapter P, Chapter 15, or Subchapter K, Chapter 17, may be
  considered by the board, if the applicant is located:
               (1)  in a municipality, the municipality must adopt and
  enforce the model rules in accordance with this section;
               (2)  in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a
  municipality, the applicant must demonstrate that the model rules
  have been adopted and are enforced in the extraterritorial
  jurisdiction by the municipality or the county; or
               (3)  outside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a
  municipality, the county must adopt and enforce the model rules in
  accordance with this section [a political subdivision must adopt
  the model rules pursuant to this section.   If the applicant is a
  district, nonprofit water supply corporation, or colonia, the
  applicant must be located in a city or county that has adopted such
  rules.   Applicants for funds under Section 15.407 or Subchapter P,
  Chapter 15, or Subchapter K, Chapter 17, may not receive funds under
  those provisions unless the applicable political subdivision
  adopts and enforces the model rules].
         SECTION 7.  The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter
  232, Local Government Code, apply only to a subdivision plat
  application submitted for approval on or after the effective date
  of this Act. A subdivision plat application submitted for approval
  before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
  effect when the application was submitted, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
  COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
         Amend S.B. No. 1816 (engrossed version) as follows:
         (1)  Strike SECTION 5 of the bill, adding Section 233.902,
  Local Government Code, and renumber subsequent SECTIONS of the bill
  accordingly.
         (2)  In SECTION 6 of the bill, strike added Section
  16.343(f), Water Code (page 3, line 21, through page 4, line 1) and
  substitute the following:
         (f)  To augment regulatory compliance by political
  subdivisions, the model rules may impose requirements for platting,
  replatting, or any other method authorized by law. Notwithstanding
  any other law to the contrary and except as may be required by an
  agreement developed under Chapter 242, Local Government Code, a
  municipality that has adopted the model rules under this section
  may impose the platting requirements of Chapter 212, Local
  Government Code, and a county that has adopted the model rules under
  this section may impose the applicable platting requirements of
  Chapter 232, Local Government Code, to a division of real property
  that is required to be platted or replatted by the provisions of the
  model rules.
  Kleinschmidt