Honorable Charles Perry, Chair, Senate Committee on Water & Rural Affairs
FROM:
John McGeady, Assistant Director Sarah Keyton, Assistant Director Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB3782 by Harless (Relating to the right to remove property encroaching on areas owned or controlled by the Harris County Flood Control District.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Acts of the 45th Legislature, Regular Session, 1937 to authorize certain flood control districts to remove real or personal property placed on land owned by the district or land subject to an easement held by the district. The bill would also authorize existing civil lawsuit processes against the owner of the property by the district to recover the cost of removing the property.
Local Government Impact
According to the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), the bill would significantly reduce existing costs due to encroachments within the channel right-of-way. HCFCD estimates that current expenditures due to these encroachments are $1.8 million per year from increased mowing costs as well as increased maintenance and capital construction costs. The bill would allow the District to remove all of these encroachments eventually and reduce expenditures by this amount.