S.B. No. 2038
 
 
 
 
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 that was voluntarily annexed into the
  extraterritorial jurisdiction that is located in a county:
                     (A)  in which the population grew by more than 50
  percent from the previous federal decennial census in the federal
  decennial census conducted in 2020; and
                     (B)  that has a population greater than 240,000;
               (3)  within the portion of the extraterritorial
  jurisdiction of a municipality with a population of more than 1.4
  million that is:
                     (A)  within 15 miles of the boundary of a military
  base, as defined by Section 43.0117, at which an active training
  program is conducted; and
                     (B)  in a county with a population of more than two
  million;
               (4)  in an area designated as an industrial district
  under Section 42.044; or
               (5)  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 date; 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 any other law, an area released from a
  municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction under this section
  may not be included in the extraterritorial jurisdiction or the
  corporate boundaries of a municipality, unless the owner or owners
  of the area subsequently request that the area be included in the
  municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction or corporate
  boundaries.
  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 that was voluntarily annexed into the
  extraterritorial jurisdiction that is located in a county:
                     (A)  in which the population grew by more than 50
  percent from the previous federal decennial census in the federal
  decennial census conducted in 2020; and
                     (B)  that has a population greater than 240,000;
               (3)  within the portion of the extraterritorial
  jurisdiction of a municipality with a population of more than 1.4
  million that is:
                     (A)  within 15 miles of the boundary of a military
  base, as defined by Section 43.0117, at which an active training
  program is conducted; and
                     (B)  in a county with a population of more than two
  million;
               (4)  in an area designated as an industrial district
  under Section 42.044; or
               (5)  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 any other law, an area released from a
  municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction under this section
  may not be included in the extraterritorial jurisdiction or the
  corporate boundaries of a municipality, unless the owner or owners
  of the area subsequently request that the area be included in the
  municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction or corporate
  boundaries.
         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 as to the area 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.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2038 passed the Senate on
  April 27, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 8, 2023, by the
  following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2038 passed the House, with
  amendments, on May 3, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 127,
  Nays 18, one present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor