BILL ANALYSIS

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Under current law, counties are currently not permitted to issue bonds to restore or maintain courthouses. Smaller counties with limited financial resources often lack the necessary funds to adequately restore or maintain rural courthouses. Therefore, many historic county courthouses that have been at the center of rural life for decades have begun to fall into disrepair.

This bill amends Section 1301.001(a) of the Government Code to allow county commissioners courts to issue bonds for the restoration or maintenance of county courthouses. County commissioners courts may issue bonds only if a majority of the voters at an election to authorize bonds vote in favor of the proposition to authorize the bonds.

As proposed, S.B. 186 amends current law relating to the authority of a county to issue bonds to restore or maintain a county courthouse.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 1301.001(a), Government Code, to authorize the commissioners court of a county to issue certain bonds for certain purposes, including restoring or maintaining a county courthouse, and to make nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.