BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 961

By: Farias

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

State law exempts certain state agencies and public or private institutions of higher education from county, municipality, and utility district fees charged for the development or maintenance of programs or facilities for the control of excess water or storm water, but such exemption does not include school districts. Interested parties note that some school districts make budget conscious efforts to reduce the impact of impervious surface flow beyond campus property by installing storm water detention, absorption, and flow-control features on their respective campuses. The interested parties further note that cities have certain authority to establish their own storm water fee schedule and to exempt a school district from such a fee and that some cities have indeed made such exemptions. The interested parties contend that random increases on a taxing entity, such as a school district, can cause financial burdens for such an entity and make the entity's budgetary process problematic. H.B. 961 seeks to address these issues in regard to certain school districts.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 961 reenacts and amends the Local Government Code to include a school district located in a county with a population of more than 1.5 million that contains a municipality in which at least 75 percent of the county's population resides among the entities exempt from a county, municipality, or utility district fee charged for the development or maintenance of programs or facilities for the control of excess water or storm water.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.