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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 special |
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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(b-1), Water Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b-1) If the board of [In this subsection, "rural area |
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district" means] a district in which more than half of the |
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district's projected retail water or sewer connections are active |
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[and that is not wholly or partly located in a county that as of the |
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2010 Census had a population of 800,000 or more or bordered a county |
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with a population of 800,000 or more. If the board of a rural area |
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district] conducts meetings at least quarterly, the board shall |
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conduct a meeting at least once per quarter: |
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(1) at a designated meeting location: |
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(A) inside the district; |
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(B) [or] within 10 miles of the boundary of the |
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district; or |
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(C) if [at least once per quarter. If] the board |
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determines that it is not practical to meet inside the district or |
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within 10 miles of the boundary of the district, [the district may |
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conduct the quarterly meeting] at another designated meeting place |
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in the county in which the district is located; or |
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(2) by telephone conference call or video conference |
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call, as provided by Section 49.064(b). |
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SECTION 2. Section 49.064, Water Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 49.064. MEETINGS. (a) The board shall hold such |
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regular and special meetings as may be necessary for the proper |
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conduct of the district's business. Except as provided by |
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Subsection (b), all [All] meetings shall be conducted in accordance |
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with [the open meetings law,] Chapter 551, Government Code. A |
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meeting of a committee of the board, or a committee composed of |
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representatives of more than one board, where less than a quorum of |
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any one board is present is not subject to the provisions of [the |
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open meetings law,] Chapter 551, Government Code. |
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(b) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, the board |
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may hold a regular or special meeting by telephone conference call |
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or video conference call if at least one board member participating |
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in the meeting is physically present at a location that is open to |
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the public during the open portions of the meeting. A board member |
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who participates in a meeting by telephone conference call or video |
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conference call shall be counted as present at the meeting for all |
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purposes. |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter G, Chapter 54, Water Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 54.6015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.6015. PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF TAX |
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RATE. A public hearing at which the adoption of a tax rate will be |
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considered must be conducted: |
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(1) at a designated meeting location: |
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(A) inside the district; or |
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(B) within 10 miles of the boundary of the |
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district; or |
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(2) by telephone conference call or video conference |
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call, as provided by Section 49.064(b). |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |