H.B. No. 3697
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to county regulation of subdivisions and approval of
  subdivision plans or plats.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 232.001, Local Government Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (g) and
  (h) to read as follows:
         (a)  The owner of a tract of land located outside the limits
  of a municipality must have a plat of the subdivision prepared if
  the owner divides the tract into two or more parts to lay out:
               (1)  a subdivision of the tract, including an addition;
               (2)  lots; or
               (3)  streets, alleys, squares, parks, or other parts of
  the tract intended by the owner of the tract to be dedicated to
  public use [or for the use of purchasers or owners of lots fronting
  on or adjacent to the streets, alleys, squares, parks, or other
  parts].
         (g)  A plat is considered filed on the date the applicant
  submits the plat, along with a completed plat application and the
  application fees and other requirements prescribed by or under this
  subchapter, to:
               (1)  the commissioners court; or
               (2)  the county authority responsible for approving
  plats.
         (h)  The commissioners court or the county authority
  responsible for approving plats may not require an analysis, study,
  document, agreement, or similar requirement to be included in or as
  part of an application for a plat, development permit, or
  subdivision of land that is not explicitly required by state law.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 232, Local Government
  Code, is amended by adding Sections 232.0012 and 232.0022 to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 232.0012.  CONSTRUCTION OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter
  may not be construed to restrict a county from establishing a
  submittal calendar to be used by an applicant to facilitate
  compliance with the approval process described by Sections
  232.0025, 232.0026, 232.0027, and 232.0028.
         Sec. 232.0022.  DELEGATION OF APPROVAL RESPONSIBILITY. (a)  
  The commissioners court of a county or the court's designee may
  designate to one or more officers or employees of the county the
  authority to approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove a
  plat.
         (b)  An applicant has the right to appeal to the
  commissioners court or the court's designee if the designated
  person or persons disapprove a plat.
         SECTION 3.  The heading to Section 232.0025, Local
  Government Code, is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 232.0025.  APPROVAL PROCEDURE: TIMELY APPROVAL OF PLATS
  [AND PLANS].
         SECTION 4.  Section 232.0025, Local Government Code, is
  amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), (f), (g), (h),
  and (i) and adding Subsection (f-1) to read as follows:
         (a)  The commissioners court of a county or a person
  designated by the commissioners court shall issue a written list of
  all [the] documentation and other information that must be
  submitted with a plat application. The documentation or other
  information must relate to a requirement authorized under this
  section or other applicable law. An application submitted to the
  commissioners court or the person designated by the commissioners
  court that contains all [the] documents and other information on
  the written list is considered complete.  The commissioners court
  shall post and continuously maintain the most current version of
  the list on the county's Internet website.
         (b)  If a person submits a plat application to the
  commissioners court that does not include all of the documentation
  or other information required by Subsection (a), the commissioners
  court or the county authority responsible for approving plats
  [court's designee] shall, not later than the 10th business day
  after the date the commissioners court receives the application,
  notify the applicant of the missing documents or other information.  
  The commissioners court shall allow an applicant to timely submit
  the missing documents or other information.
         (c)  An application is considered complete when all
  documentation or other information required by Subsection (a) is
  received.  Acceptance by the commissioners court or the county
  authority responsible for approving plats [court's designee] of a
  completed plat application with the documentation or other
  information required by Subsection (a) shall not be construed as
  approval of the documentation or other information.
         (d)  Except as provided by Subsection (f), the commissioners
  court or the county authority responsible for approving plats
  [court's designee] shall approve, approve with conditions, or
  disapprove a plat application not later than the 30th day after the
  date the completed application is received by the commissioners
  court or the county authority [court's designee]. An application is
  approved by the commissioners court or the county authority
  [court's designee] unless the application is disapproved within
  that period and in accordance with Section 232.0026.
         (f)  The 30-day period under Subsection (d):
               (1)  for a purpose related to Chapter 2007, Government
  Code, may be extended for a period not to exceed 30 days, if:
                     (A)  requested and agreed to in writing by the
  applicant and approved by the commissioners court or the county
  authority responsible for approving plats [court's designee]; or
                     (B)  Chapter 2007, Government Code, requires the
  county to perform a takings impact assessment in connection with
  the plat application; or [and]
               (2)  for a purpose unrelated to Chapter 2007,
  Government Code, may be extended for one or more periods, not to
  exceed 30 days, if requested and agreed to in writing by the
  applicant and approved by the commissioners court or the county
  authority.
         (f-1)  The 30-day period under Subsection (d) applies only to
  a decision wholly within the control of the commissioners court or
  the county authority responsible for approving plats [court's
  designee].
         (g)  The commissioners court or the county authority
  responsible for approving plats [court's designee] shall make the
  determination under Subsection (f)(1) of whether the 30-day period
  will be extended not later than the 20th day after the date a
  completed plat application is received by the commissioners court
  or the county authority [court's designee].
         (h)  The commissioners court or the county authority
  responsible for approving plats [court's designee] may not require
  an applicant to waive the time limits or approval procedure
  contained in this subchapter.
         (i)  If the commissioners court or the county authority
  responsible for approving plats [court's designee] fails to
  approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove a plat application
  as required by this subchapter:
               (1)  the commissioners court shall refund the greater
  of the unexpended portion of any application fee or deposit or 50
  percent of an application fee or deposit that has been paid;
               (2)  the application is granted by operation of law;
  [and]
               (3)  the applicant may apply to a district court in the
  county where the tract of land is located for a writ of mandamus to
  compel the commissioners court to issue documents recognizing the
  plat application's approval;
               (4)  the applicant shall recover reasonable attorney's
  fees and court costs incurred in bringing an action under
  Subdivision (3) if the applicant prevails; and
               (5)  the county may recover reasonable attorney's fees
  and court costs incurred in an action brought under Subdivision (3)
  if the county prevails and the court finds the action is frivolous.
         SECTION 5.  Section 232.0026(a), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A commissioners court or county authority responsible
  for approving plats [designee] that conditionally approves or
  disapproves of a plat application under this subchapter shall
  provide the applicant a written statement of the conditions for the
  conditional approval or the reasons for disapproval that clearly
  articulates each specific condition for the conditional approval or
  reason for disapproval.
         SECTION 6.  Sections 232.0027 and 232.0028, Local Government
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 232.0027.  APPROVAL PROCEDURE: APPLICANT RESPONSE TO
  CONDITIONAL APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL.  After the conditional
  approval or disapproval of a plat application under Section
  232.0026, the applicant may submit to the commissioners court or
  county authority responsible for approving plats [designee] that
  conditionally approved or disapproved the application a written
  response that satisfies each condition for the conditional approval
  or remedies each reason for disapproval provided.  The
  commissioners court or county authority [designee] may not
  establish a deadline for an applicant to submit the response.
         Sec. 232.0028.  APPROVAL PROCEDURE: APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL
  OF RESPONSE.  (a)  A commissioners court or county authority
  responsible for approving plats [designee] that receives a response
  under Section 232.0027 shall determine whether to approve or
  disapprove the applicant's previously conditionally approved or
  disapproved plat application not later than the 15th day after the
  date the response was submitted under Section 232.0027.
         (b)  A commissioners court or county authority responsible
  for approving plats [designee] that conditionally approves or
  disapproves a plat application following the submission of a
  response under Section 232.0027:
               (1)  must comply with Section 232.0026; and
               (2)  may disapprove the application only for a specific
  condition or reason provided to the applicant for the original
  application under Section 232.0026.
         (c)  A commissioners court or county authority responsible
  for approving plats [designee] that receives a response under
  Section 232.0027 shall approve a previously conditionally approved
  or disapproved plat application if the applicant's response
  adequately addresses each condition for the conditional approval or
  each reason for the disapproval.
         (d)  A previously conditionally approved or disapproved plat
  application is approved if:
               (1)  the applicant filed a response that meets the
  requirements of Subsection (c); and
               (2)  the commissioners court or county authority
  responsible for approving plats [designee] that received the
  response does not disapprove the application on or before the date
  required by Subsection (a) and in accordance with Section 232.0026.
         SECTION 7.  Section 232.0033, Local Government Code, is
  amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
         (c)  The commissioners court of a county or the court's
  designee may not refuse to review a plat application or refuse to
  approve a plat for recordation for failure to identify a corridor,
  as defined by Section 201.619, Transportation Code, unless the
  corridor is part of an agreement between the Texas Department of
  Transportation and the county under that section.
         SECTION 8.  Section 232.0025(d-1), Local Government Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 9.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act but not later than January 1, 2024, each county shall
  adopt and publish the list described by Section 232.0025, Local
  Government Code, as amended by this Act.
         SECTION 10.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only
  to a plat application submitted on or after the effective date of
  this Act.  A plat application submitted before the effective date of
  this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the
  application was submitted, and that law is continued in effect for
  that purpose.
         SECTION 11.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 3697 was passed by the House on May 9,
  2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 128, Nays 14, 2 present, not
  voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to
  H.B. No. 3697 on May 23, 2023, and requested the appointment of a
  conference committee to consider the differences between the two
  houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report
  on H.B. No. 3697 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 119,
  Nays 24, 1 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 3697 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 19, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
  1; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
  committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
  that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
  3697 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor