BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4699

By: Wilson

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that while development activities have not yet commenced within the Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 21, it is anticipated that the lands within the district will be developed with adjacent lands into a mixed use development including residential, commercial, and retail uses. It has been suggested that changes to the district's governing provisions would help the district to better serve the area. H.B. 4699 seeks to provide such changes. 

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

H.B. 4699 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to add as purposes the accomplishment of which the Williamson County Municipal Utility District No. 21 is created purposes of certain constitutional provisions that relate to the construction, acquisition, improvement, operation, or maintenance of macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads. The bill authorizes the district, under such provisions, to design, acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds for, improve, operate, maintain, and convey to the state, a county, or a municipality for operation and maintenance macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads and sets out provisions relating to road standards and requirements. The bill establishes that the district has the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes for which the district is created and that the district has the powers and duties provided by the general law of the state applicable to municipal utility districts.

H.B. 4699 authorizes the district to issue bonds or other obligations payable wholly or partly from property taxes, impact fees, revenue, contract payments, grants, or other district money, or any combination of those sources, to pay for an authorized road project. The bill prohibits the district from issuing bonds payable from property taxes to finance a road project unless the issuance is approved by a vote of a two-thirds majority of the district voters voting at an election held for that purpose. The bill prohibits, at the time of issuance, the total principal amount of bonds or other obligations issued or incurred to finance road projects and payable from property taxes from exceeding one-fourth of the assessed value of the real property in the district. The bill requires the district's board of directors, at the time the district issues bonds payable wholly or partly from property taxes, to provide for the annual imposition of a continuing direct property tax, without limit as to rate or amount, while all or part of the bonds are outstanding as required and in the manner provided by specified municipal utility district provisions.

H.B. 4699 repeals provisions relating to the following:

· a requirement that the district obtain the approval of the Brazos River Authority for the design of any district wastewater treatment facility;

· a requirement that wastewater service in the district be provided only by the authority or a provider approved by the authority; and

· a requirement that the district comply with the terms and conditions of a certain sewer service agreement to which the district is not a party.

H.B. 4699 repeals the following provisions of the Special District Local Laws Code:

· Section 8132.101

· Section 8132.102

· Section 8132.103

EFFECTIVE DATE

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