BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1949
87R9726 SLB-D	By: Hancock
	Local Government
	4/12/2021
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Current law provides that only property owners within Dallas County Flood Control District No. 1 (district) may serve on its board of directors. However, there are only approximately 100 residences in the district, most of which are rental properties. The district has found it difficult to recruit board members and garner interest from the landowners in the district, which is made up of mostly commercial properties where the business owners and managers often do not own the physical property.

S.B. 1949 narrowly expands eligibility allowances regarding who may serve on the district's board of directors by making owners of stock, owners of a beneficial interest in a trust, and employees and directors of an entity that owns land in the district eligible to serve on the board.

As proposed, S.B. 1949 amends current law relating to qualifications for the directors of the Dallas County Flood Control District No. 1.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 7811.052, Special District Local Laws Code, as follows:

Sec. 7811.052. New heading: QUALIFICATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY FOR OFFICE. (a) Requires a person, to be qualified to serve as a director, to be at least 18 years of age and:

(1) an owner of taxable property in the district;

(2) an owner of stock, whether beneficial or otherwise, of a corporate owner of property in the district;

(3) an owner of a beneficial interest in a trust that owns property in the district; or

(4) an agent, employee, or tenant of a person covered by Subdivision (1), (2), or (3).

(b) Creates this subsection from existing text. Requires a director to meet the qualifications described by Subsection (a), rather than to own land in the district subject to taxation, at the time the director qualifies for office.

SECTION 2. Provides that all requirements of the constitution and laws of this state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled and accomplished.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.