BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2885

By: Gerdes

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that businesses in different precincts of Bastrop County currently face unequal access to apply for mixed beverage permits and further lack the means to petition for change. The bill author has also informed the committee that in many cases, new businesses coming to the county are unaware of and curtailed by the unclear option to apply for a mixed beverage permit. H.B. 2885 seeks to address this issue by authorizing Bastrop County to hold local elections to legalize the sale of certain alcoholic beverages.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2885 amends the Election Code to provide for a local option election in a county that has a population between 70,000 and 100,000, contains a portion of the Colorado River, and is adjacent to a county with a population of one million or more to determine whether to legalize the sale of alcoholic beverages of one or more of the various types and alcoholic contents in the applicable political subdivision as follows:

· authorizes the county commissioners court, on its own motion, to order such an election to be held in the county or a justice precinct in the county; and

· authorizes the governing body of a municipality to order, by resolution, such an election to be held in the municipality.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.