BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1878
	By: Men�ndez
	Intergovernmental Relations
	6/9/2017
	Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 1878 relates to the service plan for the annexation by certain municipalities of territory included in an emergency services district.

In 2013, legislation was enacted to ensure that residents living in an area annexed by a municipality would maintain sufficient coverage by emergency medical and fire services. The bill was written to apply only to municipalities in counties with populations between 1 million and 1.5 million, therefore only applying to the City of Austin and Travis County.

S.B. 1878 amends the population limit from the previous 1.5 million limit to 1.75 million, thereby including the City of San Antonio and Bexar County within the scope of this legislation. If a piece of land is annexed by a municipality, then the people residing within that area would benefit from services on par with those that other city residents hold.

S.B. 1878 works to ensure those living in an annexed territory have equal access to emergency services. More importantly, the citizens will enjoy a better quality of service, as provided for by the city instead of a third party.

S.B. 1878 amends current law relating to the service plan for the annexation by certain municipalities of territory included in an emergency services district.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 43.056(p), Local Government Code, to provide that this subsection applies only to a municipality in a county with a population of more than one million and less than 1.75, rather than 1.5, million.

SECTION 2. Provides that the change in law made by this Act to Section 43.056(p), Local Government Code, applies only to the annexation of the area for which all parts of the statutory annexation process are begun on or after the effective date of this Act.� Provides that the annexation of an area for which any part of the statutory annexation process was begun before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2017.