BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2883

By: Simmons

Special Purpose Districts

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, certain municipalities, including the City of Lewisville, provide limited emergency response services to areas located within the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction. Interested parties contend that some of the municipalities hope to increase such services and to establish a method for funding the services. H.B. 2883 seeks to address this issue.

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. 2883 amends the Local Government Code to authorize the municipality that created a fire control, prevention, and emergency medical services district to add all or part of the territory in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction to the district. The bill authorizes the district to impose a tax in that territory only if the addition of the territory and the imposition of the tax are approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the territory to be added voting at an election held for that purpose. The bill prohibits the board of directors of the district from calling and holding a confirmation election until the board adopts a budget plan and a fire control, prevention, and emergency medical services plan that include the proposed addition of territory.

H.B. 2883 authorizes the governing body of the county or municipality that created a crime control and prevention district to add all or part of the territory in the political subdivision governed by that body to the district. The bill authorizes the district to impose a tax in that territory only if the addition of the territory and the imposition of the tax are approved by a majority of the qualified voters of the territory to be added voting at an election held for that purpose. The bill authorizes a majority of the board of directors of the district, after a majority of the board has approved a budget plan and a crime control plan that include the proposed addition of territory, to order that an additional election be held.

H.B. 2883 prescribes requirements relating to the contents of an order calling an election under the bill's provisions, the notice of such elections, ballot language, and procedures based on the election results. The bill establishes that specified Tax Code provisions governing the application of a municipal sales and use tax in the event of a change in the boundaries of a municipality apply to the application of a tax to territory added under the bill's provisions.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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