H.B. No. 3220

	relating to the powers and duties of the Hidalgo County Water
	Control and Improvement District No. 18; providing authority to
	issue bonds; providing authority to impose fees and taxes.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Subtitle I, Title 6, Special District Local Laws
	Code, is amended by adding Chapter 9067 to read as follows:
	CHAPTER 9067. HIDALGO COUNTY WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT
	DISTRICT NO. 18
	SUBCHAPTER A.  GENERAL PROVISIONS
	Sec. 9067.001.  DEFINITION. In this chapter, "district"
	means the Hidalgo County Water Control and Improvement District No.
	18.
	Sec. 9067.002.  NATURE AND PURPOSES OF DISTRICT.  (a)  The
	district is a water control and improvement district created under
	Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution.
	(b)  The district is created to accomplish the purposes of:
	(1)  a water control and improvement district as
	provided by general law and Section 59, Article XVI, Texas
	Constitution; and
	(2)  Section 52, Article III, Texas Constitution, that
	relate to the construction, acquisition, improvement, operation,
	or maintenance of macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or
	improvements, including storm drainage, in aid of those roads.
	SUBCHAPTER B.  POWERS AND DUTIES
	Sec. 9067.051.  GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES.  The district has
	the powers and duties necessary to accomplish the purposes for
	which the district is created.
	Sec. 9067.052.  WATER CONTROL AND IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
	POWERS AND DUTIES.  The district has the powers and duties provided
	by the general law of this state, including Chapters 49 and 51,
	Water Code, applicable to water control and improvement districts
	created under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution,
	including the power to construct, participate in, own, maintain,
	and provide services related to water conservation projects, lakes,
	reservoirs, canals, and wells, and water, sewer, recycled water,
	and related utility facilities.
	Sec. 9067.053.  AUTHORITY FOR ROAD PROJECTS. Under Section
	52, Article III, Texas Constitution, the district may design,
	acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds for, improve, operate,
	maintain, and convey to this state, a county, a municipality, or a
	public improvement district within a municipality for operation and
	maintenance macadamized, graveled, or paved roads, or
	improvements, including storm drainage, lakes, reservoirs, canals,
	underground drainage, and water treatment systems, in aid of those
	roads.
	Sec. 9067.054.  ROAD STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS. (a) A road
	project must meet all applicable construction standards, zoning and
	subdivision requirements, and regulations of each municipality in
	whose corporate limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction the road
	project is located.
	(b)  If a road project is not located in the corporate limits
	or extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, the road
	project must meet all applicable construction standards,
	subdivision requirements, and regulations of each county in which
	the road project is located.
	(c)  If the state will maintain and operate the road, the
	Texas Transportation Commission must approve the plans and
	specifications of the road project.
	Sec. 9067.055.  PARTICIPATION IN WATER CONSERVATION
	PROJECTS. The district may participate in the funding and
	construction of improvements related to water conservation
	projects within the City of McAllen Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone
	Number One. Those projects include the construction of lakes,
	reservoirs, drainage facilities, recycled water facilities,
	constructed wetlands and filtration systems, and related
	infrastructure. The district may not engage in projects authorized
	by this section outside of the boundaries of the district. The
	district may exercise the powers under this section only in
	cooperation with a public improvement district located within the
	boundaries of the City of McAllen Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone
	Number One under an agreement between the district and the public
	entity or improvement district.
	SUBCHAPTER C. BONDS AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS
	Sec. 9067.101.  AUTHORITY TO ISSUE BONDS AND OTHER
	OBLIGATIONS FOR ROAD PROJECTS.  (a) The district may issue bonds or
	other obligations payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes,
	impact fees, revenue, contract payments, grants, or other district
	money, or any combination of those sources, to pay for a project
	authorized by Section 9067.053 or 9067.055.
	(b)  The district may not issue bonds payable from ad valorem
	taxes to finance a road project unless the issuance is approved by a
	vote of a two-thirds majority of the district voters voting at an
	election held for that purpose.
	(c)  At the time of issuance, the total principal amount of
	bonds or other obligations issued or incurred to finance road
	projects and payable from ad valorem taxes may not exceed
	one-fourth of the assessed value of real property in the district.
	Sec. 9067.102.  TAXES FOR BONDS. At the time the district
	issues bonds payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, the
	board shall provide for the annual imposition of a continuing
	direct ad valorem tax, without limit as to rate or amount, while all
	or part of the bonds are outstanding.
	SECTION 2.  The Hidalgo County Water Control and Improvement
	District No. 18 retains all the rights, powers, privileges,
	authority, duties, and functions that it had before the effective
	date of this Act.
	SECTION 3.  (a)  The legislature validates and confirms all
	acts and proceedings of the Hidalgo County Water Control and
	Improvement District No. 18 that were taken before the effective
	date of this Act.
	(b)  Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to any
	matter that on the effective date of this Act:
	(1)  is involved in litigation if the litigation
	ultimately results in the matter being held invalid by a final
	judgment of a court; or
	(2)  has been held invalid by a final judgment of a
	court.
	SECTION 4.  (a)  The legal notice of the intention to
	introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this
	Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a
	copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies,
	officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished
	under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313,
	Government Code.
	(b)  The governor, one of the required recipients, has
	submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on
	Environmental Quality.
	(c)  The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed
	its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the
	lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
	representatives within the required time.
	(d)  All requirements of the constitution and laws of this
	state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect
	to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled
	and accomplished.
	SECTION 5.  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, 2015.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 3220 was passed by the House on May 8,
	2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 139, Nays 3, 2 present, not
	voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 3220 was passed by the Senate on May
	22, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 1.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED:  _____________________
	Date
	_____________________
	Governor