BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2583

By: Creighton

Land & Resource Management

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Crosby Municipal Utility District of Harris County, Texas, was created as a water control and improvement district in 1965 by the 59th Texas Legislature and was later converted into a municipal utility district by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2018. The district contains approximately 2,117 acres located in the City of Houston's extraterritorial jurisdiction in Harris County. On the request of landowners, and as one of only a few retail water and sewer providers in the area, the district intends to provide retail water and sewer service to noncontiguous tracts of land located near its existing boundaries. However, a provision in the district's governing statutes prohibits the district from exercising the power of eminent domain outside the district. S.B. 2583 seeks to repeal this provision in order to make the district more consistent with the general law for municipal utility districts, which allows for the use of eminent domain outside a district's boundaries under certain circumstances.

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. 2583 repeals Section 9012.154, Special District Local Laws Code, which prohibits the Crosby Municipal Utility District of Harris County, Texas, from exercising the power of eminent domain outside the district.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, if the bill receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house. Otherwise, the bill does not take effect.