BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4203

By: Schofield

Special Purpose Districts

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the Harris County Water Control and Improvement District No. 159 shares a common boundary with another district and would benefit from being able to adjust district boundaries without incurring certain burdens. H.B. 4203 seeks to provide the necessary authorization to facilitate such boundary adjustments.

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. 4203 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to establish provisions relating to the Harris County Water Control and Improvement District No. 159. The bill, after the district is organized and has obtained voter approval for the issuance of, or has sold, bonds payable wholly or partly from property taxes, authorizes the exclusion of land within the district's boundaries subject to taxation that does not need or use the services of the district and authorizes the inclusion within the district's boundaries of other land previously not within the district's boundaries without impairment of the security for payment of the bonds or invalidation of any prior bond election, as provided by such authorization and certain Water Code provisions regarding municipal utility districts. The bill requires its provisions relating to the substitution of land to be construed to supplement and not to supplant the provisions of general law applicable to the exclusion of land from the district or the inclusion of land within the district.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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