Bill Text: TX HB274 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the District of Austin as the seat of state government.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB274 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB274-Introduced.html
| By: Cain | H.B. No. 274 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to the establishment of the District of Austin as the seat | ||
| of state government. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Title 1, Local Government Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Chapter 2 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 2. DISTRICT OF AUSTIN | ||
| Sec. 2.001. DISTRICT ESTABLISHED. (a) The District of | ||
| Austin is created from the City of Austin in Travis County as the | ||
| seat of state government. | ||
| (b) In this chapter, "district" means the District of | ||
| Austin. | ||
| (c) A reference in law to the City of Austin means the | ||
| district. | ||
| Sec. 2.002. DISTRICT TERRITORY. (a) The territory of the | ||
| district is initially composed of the territory in the boundaries | ||
| of the City of Austin as those boundaries existed on January 1, | ||
| 2025. | ||
| (b) The boundaries of the district may be modified by the | ||
| governing body of the district in the manner provided by law for a | ||
| home-rule municipality. | ||
| Sec. 2.003. GOVERNANCE AND POWERS. (a) The charter of the | ||
| City of Austin and all ordinances adopted by the city and in effect | ||
| as of January 1, 2026, are adopted as the initial laws of the | ||
| district. | ||
| (b) The district has the powers of a home-rule municipality. | ||
| The district charter has the same force and effect and shall be | ||
| treated the same in all respects as the charter of a home-rule | ||
| municipality. | ||
| Sec. 2.004. TRANSFERS AND ASSUMPTIONS. (a) Any action or | ||
| proceeding before the City of Austin as of January 1, 2026, is | ||
| transferred without change in status to the district, and the | ||
| district assumes, without a change in status, the position of the | ||
| city in any action or proceeding to which the city is a party. | ||
| (b) All money, contracts, leases, and rights of the City of | ||
| Austin held as of January 1, 2026, are transferred to the district. | ||
| (c) All property, including records, in the custody of the | ||
| City of Austin as of January 1, 2026, becomes the property of the | ||
| district. | ||
| (d) The district assumes all outstanding debts of the City | ||
| of Austin as of January 1, 2026. | ||
| Sec. 2.005. LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT. The governing body of | ||
| the district shall submit to the lieutenant governor and the | ||
| speaker of the house of representatives notice of each action taken | ||
| by the governing body that adopts or amends the district's charter | ||
| or an ordinance of the district. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026, but only | ||
| if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature, | ||
| Regular Session, 2025, allowing the legislature to establish from | ||
| all or part of Travis County the District of Austin to be the seat of | ||
| state government is approved by the voters. If that amendment is | ||
| not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect. | ||
