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          A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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          AN ACT
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        relating to franchises granted by navigation districts. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Sections 61.164(b) and (d), Water Code, are  | 
      
      
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        amended to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               (b)  No franchise shall be granted for longer than 50 [30]  | 
      
      
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        years nor shall a franchise be granted except on the affirmative  | 
      
      
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        vote of a majority of the commissioners at three separate meetings  | 
      
      
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        of the commission which meetings may not be closer together than one  | 
      
      
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        week.  The third meeting at which the commission votes to grant a  | 
      
      
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        franchise may not take place before the date the notice required by  | 
      
      
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        Subsection (c) is published for the third time. | 
      
      
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               (d)  The franchise shall require the grantee to file a [his 
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          or their] written acceptance within 30 days after the franchise is  | 
      
      
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        finally approved by the commission.  Unless the district and the  | 
      
      
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        grantee agree on a later date, the effective date of the franchise  | 
      
      
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        is the date the grantee files the written acceptance with the  | 
      
      
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        commission. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |