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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the procedure for amending or revoking certificates of |
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public convenience and necessity issued to certain water utilities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 13.2541, Water Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) As an alternative to decertification or expedited |
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release under Section 13.254, the owner of a tract of land that is |
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at least 25 acres and that is not receiving water or sewer service |
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may petition for expedited release of the area from a certificate of |
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public convenience and necessity in the manner provided by this |
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section and is entitled to that release if the landowner's property |
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is located in a county with a population of at least 1.2 million, a |
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county adjacent to a county with a population of at least 1.2 |
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million, [or] a county with a population of more than 200,000 and |
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less than 233,500 that does not contain a public or private |
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university that had a total enrollment in the most recent fall |
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semester of 40,000 or more, or a county adjacent to a county |
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adjacent to a county with a population of at least 1.2 million [and |
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not in a county that has a population of more than 50,500 and less |
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than 52,000]. |
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(e-1) A landowner that submits a petition under this section |
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may agree to pay to the certificate holder that is the subject of |
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the petition under this section an amount equal to the amount |
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necessary to pay or defease a federal loan for a certificate holder |
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that is a borrower under a federal loan program. On request from |
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the petitioner, the certificate holder must provide the petitioner |
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with the amount necessary to pay or defease the federal loan. The |
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utility commission may issue an order to require the certificate |
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holder to accept a loan payment or defeasance under this section. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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a proceeding affecting a certificate of public convenience and |
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necessity that commences on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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A proceeding affecting a certificate of public convenience and |
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necessity that commenced before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the proceeding is |
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commenced, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |