BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4130

By: Gonzales, Larry

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the Jonah Water Special Utility District is located exclusively in Williamson County and that district directors are currently elected at large. The parties contend that the district should have the option to have directors elected from single-member districts. H.B. 4130 seeks to provide that option, among other provisions.

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. 4130 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to establish that the Jonah Water Special Utility District is governed by a board of nine directors. The bill requires a person to be a district resident and a district retail water or sewer service customer in order to be eligible to be listed on the ballot as a candidate for or to serve as a director. The bill authorizes the board by rule to provide for the election of some or all of the directors from single-member districts and, if the board does so, requires a person, in order to be eligible to be listed on the ballot as a candidate for or to serve as a director from a single-member district, to be a resident of that district in addition to the bill's other qualifications. The bill applies only to a director elected on or after the bill's effective date and does not prohibit a person who is a director on such date from being reelected to the board if the person has the qualifications required by the bill.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.