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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the division of certain emergency services districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 8489, Special District Local Laws Code, |
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is amended by adding Subchapter F to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER F. DIVISION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT THAT OVERLAPS |
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WITH THE DISTRICT |
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Sec. 8489.251. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, |
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"improvement district" means the Comal County Water Improvement |
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District No. 3. |
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Sec. 8489.252. AUTHORITY TO DIVIDE DISTRICT. A county in |
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which the improvement district is located may by order divide an |
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emergency services district located in whole or in part in the |
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improvement district and wholly in the county in the manner |
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provided by this subchapter. |
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Sec. 8489.253. PETITION FOR DIVISION; NOTICE OF HEARING. |
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(a) Before an emergency services district may be divided under this |
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subchapter, the county judge must receive a petition for division |
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signed by at least 60 percent of the qualified voters of the |
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improvement district. |
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(b) A petition for division must include: |
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(1) the name of the new emergency services district to |
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be created; and |
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(2) a description of the proposed territory of the new |
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emergency services district. |
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(c) The petition may include an agreement with a neighboring |
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municipality to allow the municipality to provide fire and |
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emergency medical services through the new emergency services |
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district. |
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(d) Not later than the 30th day after the date the county |
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judge receives a petition under this section, the commissioners |
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court of the county shall set a place, date, and time for a hearing |
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to consider the petition. The commissioners court shall issue a |
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notice of the hearing that includes: |
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(1) the name of the proposed emergency services |
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district; |
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(2) a description of the proposed emergency services |
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district's boundaries; and |
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(3) the place, date, and time of the hearing on the |
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petition. |
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(e) A commissioners court of a county that issues notice of |
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a hearing under Subsection (d) shall publish the notice in a |
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newspaper of general circulation in the improvement district once a |
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week for two consecutive weeks. The first publication must occur |
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not later than the 21st day before the date on which the hearing |
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will be held. |
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Sec. 8489.254. HEARING ON DIVISION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES |
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DISTRICT. (a) At a hearing on a petition for the division of an |
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emergency services district under this subchapter, the |
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commissioners court shall consider the petition and each issue |
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relating to the division of the emergency services district. |
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(b) Any interested person may appear before the |
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commissioners court to support or oppose the division. |
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(c) The commissioners court shall approve the petition not |
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later than the 10th day after the date of the hearing if the |
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commissioners court finds that: |
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(1) the petition contains the number of signatures |
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required under Section 8489.253; and |
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(2) the proposed division is feasible. |
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(d) The commissioners court shall consider any agreement |
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described by Section 8489.253(c) submitted with the petition as |
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evidence that the division of the emergency services district is |
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feasible under Subsection (c) of this section. |
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Sec. 8489.255. ELECTION TO CONFIRM DIVISION. (a) If a |
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commissioners court of a county approves a petition under Section |
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8489.254 to divide an emergency services district, the |
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commissioners court shall order an election to be held in the |
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territory of the proposed new emergency services district to: |
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(1) confirm the division of the existing emergency |
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services district; and |
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(2) authorize the imposition of a tax in the territory |
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of the new emergency services district not to exceed the rate |
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allowed by Section 48-e, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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(b) Notice of the election shall be given in the same manner |
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as the notice of a hearing under Section 8489.253. |
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(c) The election shall be held on the first authorized |
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uniform election date prescribed by the Election Code that allows |
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sufficient time to comply with the requirements of law. |
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(d) The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or |
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against the proposition: "Dividing the (insert name of emergency |
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services district) to create a new emergency services district and |
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authorizing the imposition of a tax." |
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(e) If a majority of the voters voting at the election vote |
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to divide the emergency services district, the commissioners court |
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by order shall divide the emergency services district. |
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(f) The existing emergency services district and new |
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emergency services district each shall pay a pro rata share of the |
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cost of an election held under this section, based on the assessed |
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value of real property in each emergency services district subject |
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to ad valorem taxation. |
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Sec. 8489.256. DIVISION ORDER. (a) A county order dividing |
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an emergency services district under this subchapter must: |
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(1) require the existing emergency services district |
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to disannex the land of the new emergency services district; |
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(2) create the new emergency services district in |
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accordance with Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code; |
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(3) name the new emergency services district; |
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(4) include the metes and bounds description of the |
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territories of the new emergency services district and the existing |
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emergency services district after disannexation; and |
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(5) appoint the board of the new emergency services |
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district in the manner described by Section 775.034, Health and |
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Safety Code. |
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(b) The county judge shall send to the comptroller by |
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certified or registered United States Mail a certified copy of a |
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county order dividing an emergency services district under this |
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subchapter. The certified copy must: |
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(1) include the effective date of the division of the |
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emergency services district; and |
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(2) be accompanied by a map clearly showing the |
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boundaries of the new emergency services district. |
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Sec. 8489.257. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE SALES AND |
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USE TAXES. The authority of the existing emergency services |
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district to impose sales and use taxes in the territory of the new |
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emergency services district ends on the first day of the first |
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calendar quarter after the comptroller receives a copy of the |
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division order and map required by Section 8489.256. |
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Sec. 8489.258. ADMINISTRATION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES |
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DISTRICT AFTER DIVISION. The board of the existing emergency |
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services district continues in existence to govern the territory of |
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the existing emergency services district after disannexation of the |
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land of the new emergency services district. |
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Sec. 8489.259. TAXATION FOR OUTSTANDING BONDED DEBT. (a) |
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The disannexation of territory from an emergency services district |
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under this subchapter does not diminish or impair the rights of |
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holders of any outstanding and unpaid bonds of the existing |
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emergency services district. |
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(b) Property disannexed under this subchapter is not |
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released from its pro rata share of any of the existing emergency |
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services district's bonded indebtedness on the date of the |
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disannexation and the existing emergency services district may |
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continue to tax property in the disannexed territory until that |
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debt is paid as if the territory had not been disannexed. |
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(c) After the date a petition is filed under Section |
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8489.253 to divide an emergency services district, the emergency |
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services district may not pledge ad valorem tax revenue or sales tax |
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revenue from the territory that is proposed in the petition to be |
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disannexed from the emergency services district unless the division |
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of the emergency services district fails to be approved at an |
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election under this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |