Amend HB 347 (house committee printing) as follows:

(1)  Add the following appropriately numbered ARTICLE to the bill and renumber subsequent ARTICLES and SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

ARTICLE ____. HEARING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN CONSENT ANNEXATIONS

SECTION ____.01. Section 43.0673, Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 43.0673.  PUBLIC HEARING [HEARINGS]. (a) Before a municipality may adopt an ordinance annexing an area under this subchapter [section], the governing body of the municipality must conduct one [at least two] public hearing [hearings].

[(b)     The hearings must be conducted not less than 10 business days apart.]

(c)  During the [first] public hearing, the governing body:

(1)  must provide persons interested in the annexation the opportunity to be heard; and

(2)  [. During the final public hearing, the governing body] may adopt an ordinance annexing the area.

(d)  The municipality must post notice of the hearing [hearings] on the municipality's Internet website if the municipality has an Internet website and publish notice of the hearing [hearings] in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality and in the area proposed for annexation. The notice for the [each] hearing must be:

(1)  published at least once on or after the 20th day but before the 10th day before the date of the hearing; and

(2)  [. The notice for each hearing must be] posted on the municipality's Internet website on or after the 20th day but before the 10th day before the date of the hearing and must remain posted until the date of the hearing.

(2)  On page 13, strike lines 22-24 and substitute the following:

the period prescribed for providing the notice of, as applicable:

(2)  the first hearing under Section [43.0561,] 43.063, [43.0673,] 43.0683, or 43.0693[, as applicable].

(3)  On page 14, strike lines 6-11 and substitute the following:

(b)  A municipality that proposes to annex an area shall provide to each public entity that is located in or provides services to the area proposed for annexation written notice of the proposed annexation within the period prescribed for providing the notice of, as applicable:

(2)  the first hearing under Section [43.0561,] 43.063, [43.0673,] 43.0683, or 43.0693[, as applicable, to each public entity that is located in or provides services to the area proposed for annexation].