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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to connection reservation contracts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 49.001, Utilities Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 49.001. DEFINITIONS. (a) As used in this chapter: |
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(1) "District" means any district or authority created |
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by authority of either Sections 52(b)(1) and (2), Article III, or |
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Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, regardless of how |
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created. The term "district" shall not include any navigation |
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district or port authority created under general or special law, |
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any conservation and reclamation district created pursuant to |
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Chapter 62, Acts of the 52nd Legislature, 1951 (Article 8280-141, |
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Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), or any conservation and reclamation |
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district governed by Chapter 36 unless a special law creating the |
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district or amending the law creating the district states that this |
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chapter applies to that district. |
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(2) "Commission" means the Texas Natural Resource |
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Conservation Commission. |
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(3) "Board" means the governing body of a district. |
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(4) "Executive director" means the executive director |
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of the commission. |
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(5) "Water supply corporation" means a nonprofit water |
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supply or sewer service corporation created or operating under |
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Chapter 67. |
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(6) "Director" means either a supervisor or director |
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appointed or elected to the board. |
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(7) "Municipal solid waste" has the same meaning |
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assigned by Section 361.003, Health and Safety Code. |
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(8) "Special water authority" means a river authority |
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as that term is defined in Section 30.003, or a district created by |
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a special Act of the legislature that: |
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(A) is a provider of water or wastewater service |
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to two or more municipalities; and |
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(B) is governed by a board of directors appointed |
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or designated in whole or in part by the governor, the Texas Water |
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Development Board, or municipalities within its service area. |
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(9) "Potable water" means water that has been treated |
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for public drinking water supply purposes. |
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(10) "District facility" means tangible real and |
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personal property of the district, including any plant, equipment, |
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means, recreational facility as defined by Section 49.462, or |
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instrumentality owned, leased, operated, used, controlled, |
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furnished, or supplied for, by, or in connection with the business |
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or operations of a district. The term specifically includes a |
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reservoir or easement of a district. |
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(11) "Connection" means a standardized measure of |
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consumption, use, generation, or discharge attributable to an |
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individual unit of development calculated in accordance with |
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generally accepted engineering, or planning standards. Connections |
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may be described in terms of single family equivalent connections, |
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living unit of equivalents, or any other generally accepted unit of |
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consumption typically attributable to a single family household. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 49, Utilities Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 49.2131 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 49.2131. CONTRACTS VALID AND ENFORCEABLE. (a) A |
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contract between an individual and a municipality or special |
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utility district created for the purpose of reserving a connection |
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must include an expiration date of the term of the connection. |
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(b) The term of a connection may not exceed 10 years from the |
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date the connection was reserved. |
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(c) Not less than 30 days before the expiration of the term |
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of the connection, the municipality or special utility district |
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must provide notice to the individual who is a party to the contract |
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of the connection's forthcoming expiration date. |
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SECTION 3: This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |