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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to board of directors meeting locations of certain rural |
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area water districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 49.062, Water Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (b) and (b-1) and adding Subsections (b-2) and |
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(b-3) to read as follows: |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-2) [(b-1)], the |
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board shall designate one or more places inside or outside the |
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district for conducting the meetings of the board. The meeting |
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place may be a private residence or office, provided that the board, |
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in its order establishing the meeting place, declares the same to be |
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a public place and invites the public to attend any meeting of the |
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board. If the board establishes a meeting place or places outside |
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the district, it shall give notice of the location or locations by |
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filing a true copy of the resolution establishing the location or |
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locations of the meeting place or places and a justification of why |
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the meeting will not be held in the district or within 10 miles of |
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the boundary of the district, if applicable, with the commission |
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and also by publishing notice of the location or locations in a |
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newspaper of general circulation in the district. If the location |
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of any of the meeting places outside the district is changed, notice |
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of the change shall be given in the same manner. |
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(b-1) In Subsections (b-2) and (b-3) [this subsection], |
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"rural area district" means a district in which more than half of |
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the district's projected retail water or sewer connections are |
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active and that is: |
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(1) not wholly or partly located in a county that as of |
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the 2020 [2010] Census: |
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(A) had a population of 800,000 or more; or |
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(B) bordered a county with a population of |
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800,000 or more; or |
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(2) wholly or partly located in a county with a |
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population of more than 144,000 and less than 148,000. |
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(b-2) Except as provided by Subsection (b-3), if [If] the |
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board of a rural area district conducts meetings at least |
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quarterly, the board shall conduct a meeting at a designated |
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meeting location inside the district or within 10 miles of the |
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boundary of the district at least once per quarter. If the board |
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determines that it is not practical to meet within 10 miles of the |
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boundary of the district, the district may conduct the quarterly |
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meeting at another designated meeting place in the county in which |
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the district is located. |
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(b-3) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, and |
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except as provided by this subsection, a rural area district |
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described by Subsection (b-1)(2) may satisfy the requirements of |
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Subsection (b-2) by conducting quarterly meetings by telephone |
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conference call or videoconference call. A meeting to discuss the |
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tax rate of the district must be conducted in person. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |