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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the withdrawal of the territory of an emergency |
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services district from the territory of a metropolitan rapid |
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transit authority. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 451.601, Transportation Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 451.601. UNIT OF ELECTION DEFINED. In this |
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subchapter, "unit of election" means: |
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(1) a municipality, including a principal |
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municipality; [or] |
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(2) an unincorporated area designated by a |
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commissioners court under Section 451.657 as a discrete unit for |
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the purposes of a confirmation election; or |
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(3) an emergency services district operating under |
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Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter M, Chapter 451, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 451.618 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 451.618. WITHDRAWAL: ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR EMERGENCY |
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SERVICES DISTRICTS. (a) An emergency services district operating |
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under Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code, may withdraw from an |
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authority, in addition to any other manner provided by law, by a |
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vote of a majority of the registered voters of the district voting |
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at an election on the question of withdrawing from the authority. |
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(b) The governing body of the emergency services district |
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shall call an election under this section if a petition requesting |
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that an election to withdraw from the authority be held is submitted |
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to the governing body and is signed by at least 10 percent of the |
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registered voters of the district on the date the petition is |
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submitted. To be counted for purposes of validating the petition, a |
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signature on the petition must have been inscribed not earlier than |
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the 120th day before the date the petition is submitted to the |
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governing body. |
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(c) The governing body, before the 31st day after the date |
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the petition is submitted to the governing body, shall determine |
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whether a petition under this section is valid, and if the governing |
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body fails to act on the petition before the expiration of that |
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period, the petition is valid. |
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(d) Sections 451.601, 451.607, 451.608, 451.609, 451.611, |
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451.612(a), and 451.613 apply to the withdrawal of an emergency |
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services district under this section. |
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(e) An election may not be called under this section to be |
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held on a date earlier than the first anniversary of the date of the |
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most recent election held under this section. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |