AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of the City of Brownsville extends across the Brownsville Ship Channel and on to land adjacent to the City of Port Isabel which inhibits Port Isabel's ability to grow or control its waterfront.
The boundaries of the existing ETJ were established without a formal agreement between the two cities. The City of Port Isabel believes that the middle of the Brownsville Ship Channel would serve as a fair boundary between the two cities.
S.B. 1695 establishes the middle of the Brownsville Ship Channel as the ETJ between the two cities.
As proposed, S.B. 1695 amends current law relating to the release of extraterritorial jurisdiction by certain municipalities.
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 Subchapter B, Chapter 42, Local Government Code, by adding Section 42.0252, as follows:
Sec. 42.0252. RELEASE OF EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION EXTENDING ACROSS SHIP CHANNEL. (a) Requires a municipality with an extraterritorial jurisdiction of five miles that extends across a ship channel to release from its extraterritorial jurisdiction any strip of land less than one mile in width that lies entirely between the edge of the ship channel and the municipal boundary of a second municipality whose extraterritorial jurisdiction would include the strip if not for its inclusion in the first municipality's jurisdiction.
(b) Provides that on the release from the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality under Subsection (a), the released area becomes part of the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the second municipality to the extent described by Section 42.021 (Extent of Extraterritorial Jurisdiction).
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2013.