84R13371 JXC-D
 
  By: Isaac H.B. No. 3622
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the provision of wholesale water or sewer service to
  certain municipalities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended
  by adding Section 13.088 to read as follows:
         Sec. 13.088.  MUNICIPAL WHOLESALE SERVICE IN CERTAIN
  COUNTIES. (a) This section applies only to:
               (1)  a home-rule municipality primarily located in a
  county with a population of more than one million; and
               (2)  a general-law municipality with a population of
  less than 301 located in a county with a population of more than
  150,000.
         (b)  A municipally owned utility of a home-rule municipality
  shall provide wholesale water and sewer service to a general-law
  municipality on the request of the general-law municipality, at the
  level of service requested by the general-law municipality, if:
               (1)  the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the
  home-rule municipality borders the extraterritorial jurisdiction
  of the general-law municipality on January 1, 2015;
               (2)  the general-law municipality possesses a
  certificate of public convenience and necessity;
               (3)  an aquifer provides the sole water supply for the
  general-law municipality;
               (4)  a groundwater conservation district with
  jurisdiction over the aquifer has determined that the aquifer has
  limited capacity and experiences frequent droughts; and
               (5)  at least 50 percent of the territory of the
  general-law municipality, including territory in the
  municipality's corporate boundaries and extraterritorial
  jurisdiction, is located in a recharge zone of the aquifer
  described by Subdivision (3) and the groundwater conservation
  district described by Subdivision (4) has determined that the
  recharge zone is environmentally sensitive.
         (c)  A general-law municipality that makes a request under
  this section is responsible for paying the costs of construction of
  new facilities or extending existing facilities required for the
  service.
         (d)  A municipally owned utility that receives a request
  under this section:
               (1)  may request that the utility commission determine
  whether the requesting municipality meets the requirements of
  Subsection (b); and
               (2)  may not recover through its rates the costs of
  construction of new facilities or extending existing facilities
  required for the service.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.