By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 2038

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to release of an area from a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction by petition or election.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 42, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Subchapters D and E to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER D. RELEASE OF AREA BY PETITION OF LANDOWNER OR RESIDENT

FROM EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION

Sec. 42.101. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter does not apply to an area located:

(1) within five miles of the boundary of a military base, as defined by Section 43.0117, at which an active training program is conducted;

(2) in an area designated as an industrial district under Section 42.044; or

(3) in an area subject to a strategic partnership agreement entered into under Section 43.0751.

Sec. 42.102. AUTHORITY TO FILE PETITION FOR RELEASE. (a) A resident of an area in a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction may file a petition with the municipality in accordance with this subchapter for the area to be released from the extraterritorial jurisdiction.

(b) The owner or owners of the majority in value of an area consisting of one or more parcels of land in a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction may file a petition with the municipality in accordance with this subchapter for the area to be released from the extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Sec. 42.103. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW. Chapter 277, Election Code, applies to a petition requesting removal under this subchapter.

Sec. 42.104. PETITION REQUIREMENTS. (a) A petition requesting release under this subchapter must be signed by:

(1) more than 50 percent of the registered voters of the area described by the petition as of the date of the preceding uniform election; or

(2) a majority in value of the holders of title of land in the area described by the petition, as indicated by the tax rolls of the applicable central appraisal district.

(b) A person filing a petition under this subchapter must satisfy the signature requirement described by Subsection (a) not later than the 180th day after the date the first signature for the petition is obtained.

(c) A signature collected under this section must be in writing.

(d) The petition must include a map of the land to be released and describe the boundaries of the land to be released by:

(1) metes and bounds; or

(2) lot and block number, if there is a recorded map or plat.

Sec. 42.105. RESULTS OF PETITION. (a) A petition requesting removal under this subchapter shall be verified by the municipal secretary or other person responsible for verifying signatures.

(b) The municipality shall notify the residents and landowners of the area described by the petition of the results of the petition. The municipality may satisfy this requirement by notifying the person who filed the petition under Section 42.102.

(c) If a resident or landowner obtains the number of signatures on the petition required under Section 42.104 to release the area from the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction, the municipality shall immediately release the area from the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

(d) If a municipality fails to take action to release the area under Subsection (c) by the later of the 45th day after the date the municipality receives the petition or the next meeting of the municipality's governing body that occurs after the 30th day after the date the municipality receives the petition, the area is released by operation of law.

(e) Notwithstanding Section 42.021, an area released from a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction under this section does not become part of the extraterritorial jurisdiction of another municipality on release, unless the owner or owners of the area request that the area be included in the other municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

SUBCHAPTER E. RELEASE OF AREA BY ELECTION FROM EXTRATERRITORIAL

JURISDICTION

Sec. 42.151. APPLICABILITY. This subchapter does not apply to an area located:

(1) within five miles of the boundary of a military base, as defined by Section 43.0117, at which an active training program is conducted;

(2) in an area designated as an industrial district under Section 42.044; or

(3) in an area subject to a strategic partnership agreement entered into under Section 43.0751.

Sec. 42.152. AUTHORITY TO REQUEST ELECTION FOR RELEASE. (a) A resident of an area in a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction may request the municipality to hold an election in accordance with this subchapter to vote on the question of whether to release the area from the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction by filing with the municipality a petition that includes the signatures of at least five percent of the registered voters residing in the area as of the date of the preceding uniform election date.

(b) A resident may not request another election on the question of releasing the same or substantially same area from the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction before the second anniversary of the date the municipality receives a petition filed under Subsection (a).

(c) The petition must include a map of the land to be released and describe the boundaries of the land to be released by:

(1) metes and bounds; or

(2) lot and block number, if there is a recorded map or plat.

Sec. 42.153. ELECTION. (a) Except as provided by Section 42.156, a municipality shall order an election on the question of whether to release an area from the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction to be held on the first uniform election date that falls on or after the 90th day after the date the municipality receives a petition that complies with Section 42.152.

(b) The municipality shall hold the election ordered under this section in the area described by the petition at which the qualified voters of the area described by the petition may vote on the question of the release.

(c) An election ordered under this section must be held in the same manner as general elections of the municipality. The municipality shall pay for the costs of holding the election.

Sec. 42.154. RESULTS OF ELECTION. (a) The governing body of a municipality shall canvass the election returns for an election held under this subchapter in accordance with Chapter 67, Election Code.

(b) Not later than 48 hours after the canvass of an election held under this subchapter, the municipality shall notify the residents of the area proposed to be released from the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction of the results of the election. The municipality may satisfy this requirement by notifying the person who filed the petition under Section 42.152.

Sec. 42.155. RELEASE OF AREA AS RESULT OF ELECTION. (a) If at the election held under this subchapter a majority of qualified voters of the area to be released approve the proposed release, the municipality shall immediately release the area from the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

(b) If the municipality fails to take action to release the area under Subsection (a) by the later of the next meeting of the municipality's governing body or the 15th day after the canvass date for the election, the area is released by operation of law.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 42.021, an area released from a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction under this section does not become part of the extraterritorial jurisdiction of another municipality on release, unless the owner or owners of the area request that the area be included in the other municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Sec. 42.156. VOLUNTARY RELEASE. Instead of holding an election under Section 42.153, the municipality may voluntarily release the area for which the election is to be held from the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction before the date on which the election would have been held under Section 42.153(a).

SECTION 2. Section 42.021, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:

(e) An annexation commenced after January 1, 2023, does not expand the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality unless contemporaneously with the annexation the owner or owners of the area that would be included in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction as a result of the annexation request that the area be included in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

SECTION 3. Section 242.001, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Subsection (j) to read as follows:

(j) If an area subject to an agreement under Subsection (c) is removed from a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction, the agreement is terminated and the county is the political subdivision authorized to regulate subdivisions in the removed area.

SECTION 4. A municipality shall release extraterritorial jurisdiction acquired from an annexation commenced after January 1, 2023, as necessary to comply with Section 42.021(e), Local Government Code, as added by this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.