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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 1379

By: Oliverson

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

It has been suggested that undeveloped land located within Harris County would benefit from the creation of a municipal utility district. C.S.H.B. 1379 seeks to provide for the creation of such a district.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 1379 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to create the Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 565, subject to municipal consent and voter approval at a confirmation election. The bill grants the district the power to undertake certain road projects. The bill authorizes the district, subject to certain requirements, to issue obligations and impose property, operation and maintenance, and contract taxes. The bill expressly prohibits the district from exercising the power of eminent domain if the bill does not receive a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each house.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 1379 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

The substitute does not include provisions providing for the appointment of the district's temporary directors by petition of applicable land owners, but includes instead a list of the names of the temporary directors. The substitute changes one of the dates, the earlier of which is the end date for temporary director service, from September 1, 2023, to the fourth anniversary of the bill's effective date.

 

The substitute changes the bill's effective date.