Bill Text: TX HB4288 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a required period for a municipality or water district to begin construction on certain projects.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-29 - Referred to Natural Resources [HB4288 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB4288-Introduced.html
| 87R11713 SCL-D | ||
| By: Dominguez | H.B. No. 4288 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to a required period for a municipality or water district | ||
| to begin construction on certain projects. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. The heading to Subtitle C, Title 13, Local | ||
| Government Code, is amended to read as follows: | ||
| SUBTITLE C. WATER AND UTILITIES PROVISIONS APPLYING TO MORE THAN | ||
| ONE TYPE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT | ||
| SECTION 2. Subtitle C, Title 13, Local Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Chapter 574 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 574. REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS | ||
| Sec. 574.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
| (1) "Project" means a water supply or treatment | ||
| system, a water distribution system, a sanitary sewage collection | ||
| or treatment system, works or improvements necessary for drainage | ||
| of land, roads and improvements in aid of roads, or any other work, | ||
| construction, or improvement supported by an increase in a tax or | ||
| utility rate. | ||
| (2) "Water district" means a district created under | ||
| Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution. | ||
| Sec. 574.002. ONE-YEAR REQUIREMENT TO BEGIN PROJECT. A | ||
| municipality or water district shall begin construction of a | ||
| project for which the municipality or district raises a tax or | ||
| utility rate not later than the first anniversary of the date the | ||
| municipality or district initially raised that rate. | ||
| Sec. 574.003. LOWER RATE AND REFUND REQUIRED. If a | ||
| municipality or water district violates Section 574.002, the | ||
| municipality or district shall: | ||
| (1) lower the tax or utility rate to the rate in effect | ||
| immediately before the rate was raised for the project that is the | ||
| subject of the violation; and | ||
| (2) refund to each taxpayer or ratepayer, as | ||
| applicable, an amount equal to the amount paid by the taxpayer or | ||
| ratepayer for the project that is the subject of the violation. | ||
| SECTION 3. Chapter 574, Local Government Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, applies only to a project for which a tax or utility rate | ||
| is raised on or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
