Bill Text: TX HB2207 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to a bill payment assistance program, and the authority of the board of trustees to set rates, for certain municipal utility systems.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Effective immediately [HB2207 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2207-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 2207 |
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relating to a bill payment assistance program, and the authority of | ||
the board of trustees to set rates, for certain municipal utility | ||
systems. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. (a) Section 1502.056(a), Government Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) If the revenue of a utility system, park, or swimming | ||
pool secures the payment of public securities issued or obligations | ||
incurred under this chapter, each expense of operation and | ||
maintenance, including all salaries, labor, materials, interest, | ||
repairs and extensions necessary to provide efficient service, and | ||
each proper item of expense, is a first lien against that | ||
revenue. For a municipality with a population of more than one | ||
million but less than two million, the first lien against the | ||
revenue of a municipally owned [ |
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that secures the payment of public securities issued or obligations | ||
incurred under this chapter also applies to funding, as a necessary | ||
operations expense, for a bill payment assistance program for | ||
utility system customers who have been threatened with | ||
disconnection from service for nonpayment of bills and who have | ||
been determined by the municipality to be low-income customers. | ||
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, this | ||
section takes effect immediately if this Act receives a vote of | ||
two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by | ||
Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not | ||
receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this section takes | ||
effect September 1, 2011. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 552.141, Local Government Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 552.141. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter | ||
applies only to a home-rule municipality that owns or may own a | ||
water, wastewater, storm water, or drainage utility system, by | ||
ordinance or charter elects to have the management and control of | ||
two or more of those utility systems governed by this subchapter, | ||
and: | ||
(1) has outstanding obligations payable solely from | ||
and secured by a lien on and pledge of the net revenue of one or more | ||
of those systems; or | ||
(2) issues obligations that are payable solely from | ||
and secured by a lien on and pledge of the net revenue of one or more | ||
of those systems. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 552.142(a), Local Government Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) A municipality by ordinance may transfer management and | ||
control of two or more of its water, wastewater, storm water, or | ||
drainage systems to a board of trustees. A municipality by | ||
ordinance may grant the board authority to set rates and related | ||
terms for the systems. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 2207 was passed by the House on April | ||
7, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 4, 1 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 2207 on May 26, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, | ||
1 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 2207 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 23, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |