BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1579

By: Alvarado

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the inadvertent overlapping territories of certain emergency services districts. It has been noted that districts located in certain counties, such as Harris County, are unable to remedy such a situation. There have been calls to provide the authority to create new districts in these areas in order to offer district services in the most efficient manner possible. S.B. 1579 seeks to address this issue by providing for the creation of certain emergency services districts.

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

S.B. 1579 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize the board of an emergency services district located in a county with a population of more than 3.3 million to create another emergency services district if:

· the board determines that the creation would enable the services currently provided by the creating district to be provided in a more economical and efficient manner by the creating district and the other district; and

· the boundaries of the other district are identical to the boundaries of the creating district.

S.B. 1579 requires the board of the creating district, to create the other district, to adopt an order creating the other district that:

· names the other district, and if considered reasonable by the board of the creating district, renames the creating district; and

· describes the services to be provided by the creating district and the other district.

The bill prohibits such an order from providing for the creating district and the other district to provide the same service. The bill sets out provisions relating to a confirmation election, a notice of the election, and the election date. The bill requires the board of the creating district to appoint the initial board of the other district and provides for the appointment and terms of the commissioners of the newly created district.

S.B. 1579 authorizes a creating district, to promote the economical and efficient delivery of services provided by a creating district and a newly created district, to convey assets and transfer indebtedness, other than bonded indebtedness, to the other district. The bill requires a created district, if a creating district has bonded indebtedness at the time the district's board creates the other district, to pay to the creating district annually an amount equal to one-half of the amount required to service the bonded indebtedness in that year. The bill requires overlapping districts resulting from the creation of a district to comply with certain statutory provisions relating to overlapping districts as applicable.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.