By: Creighton, Hinojosa S.B. No. 1642
      Nichols
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the administration of navigation districts.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 60, Water Code, is amended
  by adding Section 60.0726 to read as follows:
         Sec. 60.0726.  FIRES, EXPLOSIONS, AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
  INCIDENTS. A district may respond to and fight a fire, explosion,  
  or hazardous material incident that occurs on or adjacent to a
  waterway, channel, or turning basin that is located in the
  district's territory, regardless of whether the waterway, channel,
  or turning basin is located in the corporate limits of a
  municipality.
         SECTION 2.  Section 60.101, Water Code, is amended by adding
  Subsections (a-1) and (e) and amending Subsection (d) to read as
  follows:
         (a-1)  A district may acquire, purchase, lease, maintain,
  repair, and operate facilities and equipment for the purposes of
  protecting life and property by detecting, responding to, and
  fighting fires, explosions, and hazardous materials incidents
  described by Section 60.0726.
         (d)  A district may contract with a broker to sell or lease a
  tract of land in the same manner as the commissioners court of a
  county under Section 263.008, Local Government Code.
         (e)  A lease that requires the lessee to construct
  improvements on land owned by the district is not a public work
  contract for purposes of Chapter 2253, Government Code.
         SECTION 3.  Section 60.103, Water Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 60.103.  PRESCRIBING FEES AND CHARGES.  The district
  [commission] shall prescribe fees and charges to be collected for
  the use of the land, improvements, and facilities of the district
  and for the use of any land, improvements, or facilities acquired
  under the provisions of this subchapter.  The fees and charges shall
  be reasonable, equitable, and sufficient to produce revenue
  necessary to exercise the powers described by Section 60.101 and
  adequate to pay the expenses described by [mentioned in] Section
  60.105 [of this code].
         SECTION 4.  Sections 60.172(b), (c), and (d), Water Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The commission shall fix a time and place at which a
  public hearing concerning the proposed indebtedness shall be held.
  The date of the hearing shall be not less than seven [15] days nor
  more than 30 days from the date of the resolution of the commission
  giving [the] notice of the hearing date.
         (c)  Notice published by the commission under this section
  shall:
               (1)  include a statement of the amount and purpose of
  the proposed indebtedness;
               (2)  inform all persons of the time and place of
  hearing; and
               (3)  inform all persons of their right to express their
  views [appear] at the hearing, orally or in writing, and contend for
  or protest the creation of the indebtedness.
         (d)  The secretary of the commission shall publish [post
  copies of] the notice not earlier than the seventh day [for 10 days]
  before the date [day] of the hearing:
               (1)  once in a newspaper of general circulation in the
  district's territory that is available to residents of the
  district; and
               (2)  on the district's Internet website, if the
  district maintains a website, in an area of that website used to
  inform district residents about events such as public meetings
  [three public places in the district and at the door of each county
  courthouse located in the district].
         SECTION 5.  The heading to Section 60.405, Water Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 60.405.  PROPOSAL PROCEDURES [COMPETITIVE SEALED
  PROPOSALS].
         SECTION 6.  Subchapter Q, Chapter 60, Water Code, is amended
  by adding Section 60.502 to read as follows:
         Sec. 60.502.  IMPLIED CONTRACTS. A schedule of rates, fees,
  charges, rules, and ordinances that have been adopted in accordance
  with applicable law or the district's rules, including a limitation
  of liability for cargo loss or damage, that relates to receiving,
  delivering, handling, or storing property at a district facility
  and that is made available to the public on the district's Internet
  website is enforceable by an appropriate court as an implied
  contract between the district and a person using the district's
  facilities without proof of actual knowledge of the schedule's
  provisions.
         SECTION 7.  Sections 62.123(b) and (d), Water Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  No franchise shall be granted for longer than 50 years
  nor shall a franchise be granted except on the affirmative vote of a
  majority of the commissioners present at a meeting [three separate
  meetings] of the commission [which meetings may not be closer
  together than one week].
         (d)  The franchise shall require the grantee to file the
  grantee's written acceptance of the franchise within 30 days after
  the franchise is granted [finally approved] by the commission.
         SECTION 8.  Section 60.172(e), Water Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2021.