85S10155 SLB-F
 
  By: Campbell S.B. No. 86
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the local regulation of trees and timber.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Title 6, Natural Resources Code, is amended by
  adding Chapter 154 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 154. LOCAL REGULATION OF TREES AND TIMBER
         Sec. 154.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Governmental entity" means a political
  subdivision of the state, including:
                     (A)  a municipality; and
                     (B)  a county.
               (2)  "Removal of a tree" means the harvesting, cutting,
  or destruction of a tree, including the damaging of a tree in a way
  that will cause the death of the tree on or before the first
  anniversary of the date of the damage, as determined by a
  governmental entity.
         Sec. 154.002.  LOCAL REGULATION OF TREES AND TIMBER. (a)  
  Notwithstanding any other law, a municipality may not regulate the
  trimming or removal of trees or timber in the extraterritorial
  jurisdiction of the municipality.
         (b)  This section does not affect the authority of a county
  to regulate the cutting of trees under Section 240.909, Local
  Government Code.
         (c)  This section does not apply to the facilities or
  operations of an electric utility or a transmission and
  distribution utility, as those terms are defined by Section 31.002,
  Utilities Code.
         Sec. 154.003.  APPLICABILITY TO TREE TRIMMING OR REMOVAL IN
  UTILITY RIGHT-OF-WAY. This chapter does not apply to the trimming
  or removal of a tree in the easement or right-of-way of a pipeline
  or utility line.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect December 1, 2017.