BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 4680

By: Stephenson

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that an area located within the corporate limits of the City of El Campo would benefit from the creation of a management district. C.S.H.B. 4680 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. 4680 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to create the Gateway Park Municipal Management District to provide certain improvements, projects, and services for public use and benefit. The bill provides for, among other provisions, the addition and exclusion of land by the district, authority for rail facilities, and dissolution of the district. The bill sets out the district's powers and duties, which include, subject to certain requirements, the authority to issue obligations and impose assessments and property and operation and maintenance taxes. The bill prohibits the district from exercising the power of eminent domain.   

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. 4680 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 includes provisions relating to director qualifications, restricts director compensation to an elected director, and includes a provision establishing that an appointed director is not entitled to compensation for service on the board of directors.

The substitute includes provisions authorizing the owner or owners of a majority of the assessed value of the real property in the district, together with the City of El Campo, to submit a petition to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requesting that TCEQ appoint as initial directors five persons named in the petition and requiring TCEQ to appoint as initial directors the persons named in the petition.

The substitute revises provisions relating to obligations for an improvement under an agreement between the district and the city.