Video & Transcript Research : 'Special District Local Laws Code'

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TX

Texas 89th Regular

Land & Resource Management May 1st, 2025

Land & Resource Management

Transcript Highlights:
  • HB 3572 is a timely and thoughtful improvement to the local government code.
  • and to the more recent codes.
  • These layers of code require a special ASTM grading class 2 classification of that vapor retarder.
  • Adopted, and as was already stated, cities can already do local amendments or go beyond these codes.
  • One solution proposed by local stakeholders is... ...It's a creation of a municipal utility district
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Land & Resource Management May 1st, 2025

Land & Resource Management

Transcript Highlights:
  • Homeowners Associations, Historical Districts, and Deed Restrictions may still prohibit ADUs, as well
  • Under Chapter 82 of the Property Code, we have been working on a committee's substantive bill that will
  • for political subdivisions and ensures that the language does not conflict with state water quality laws
  • However, as we have discussed, the mandated changes to our local development code would unfortunately
  • Additionally, we have a significant parking issue due to overriding local parking requirements.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Natural Resources May 7th, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • Members, I'm here today with a local bill to update and streamline the Johnson County Special Utility
  • HB 5671 allows the Johnson County Special Utility District to issue bonds.
  • I'll just give a little bit of background on Johnson County Special Utility District.
  • In 2004, Johnson County, as a rural water corporation, became a special utility district to save money
  • So this bill clarifies this issue by amending the Special District Local Laws Code to explicitly prohibit
Summary: The Committee on Natural Resources heard testimony on a series of water, utility, and groundwater-related bills. Early items included HB 5693, which would let Drainage District 7 hold board elections in November of odd-numbered years when a countywide election is occurring, and HB 5671, which would update the Johnson County Special Utility District by clarifying board eligibility, allowing bond issuance, and removing redundant TCEQ approval language to reduce costs and delays. Both bills were left pending after brief testimony from bill sponsors and local witnesses. The committee also heard SB 1504, which would update the Gulf Coast Authority to allow video-conference participation in meetings, and SB 1302, aimed at closing a TCEQ permitting loophole that allowed dischargers with prior denials or suspensions to reapply through an automated process without meaningful review. SB 2692 drew substantial discussion: it would change the signature threshold for outside-city-limits customers appealing municipal utility rates to the PUC by customer class. Valero supported the bill as a way to avoid requiring large-volume users to gather signatures from unrelated residential customers, while the City of Corpus Christi opposed it, arguing that lowering the threshold to one customer could trigger expensive appeals costing $500,000 to $1 million. A PUC witness said such cases are increasing and that the agency would need additional staff under the fiscal note. SB 790, creating a simplified PUC complaint process for small water and wastewater billing disputes, and SB 1663, expanding TCEQ notice requirements for nearby residents when groundwater contamination is discovered, were also heard and left pending. Additional bills included HB 3115, clarifying that the Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District cannot require meters on exempt domestic or livestock wells; SB 1055, raising the Southeast Texas Groundwater Conservation District’s production fee cap from 1 cent to 7 cents per 1,000 gallons; and SB 1625, requiring private water and wastewater utilities to report cybersecurity incidents to TCEQ and DIR. The committee then took up pending business and adopted a substitute for SB 7, which made several changes to water fund use, eminent domain coordination, and EDAP-related provisions, and voted 10-0 to report it favorably. The committee also adopted a substitute for HB 2347, a county water conservation program bill, and reported it favorably 9-1. HB 5675 and SB 2476 were each reported favorably 10-0. The meeting concluded with adjournment.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Local Government (Part I) May 5th, 2025

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Senate Committee on Local Government will come to order. We're not going to call the roll.
  • Senate Bill 3048 will establish the Bluebonnet Hills Municipal Management District.
  • All right, just as a resource, Ross, this is a management district.
  • We're representing over 28,000 law enforcement officers today on this bill.
  • We're representing over 28,000 law enforcement officers today on this bill.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government heard several bills, most of them left pending after brief public testimony. House Bill 331, by Rep. Patterson and sponsored by Sen. Hinojosa, would create a presumption that firefighters, police officers, and EMTs who suffer a heart attack or stroke within eight hours after a strenuous shift were injured in the line of duty for workers’ compensation purposes; testimony from a firefighters’ association supported the bill, and it was left pending. Senate Bill 2655, by Sen. Flores, would authorize Burnet County to establish a local provider participation fund to help support local hospital services; a hospital administrator testified in support, and the committee substitute was left pending. Senate Bill 1443, by Sen. Hughes, would extend the Northeast Healthcare Provider Participation District in three counties, and House Bill 3307, by Rep. Noble, would allow property tax arbitrators to complete required continuing education online; both were left pending without opposition. Senate Bill 3048, by Sen. Birdwell, would create the Bluebonnet Hills Municipal Management District in Midlothian and was also left pending. The committee then took up House Bill 9 and HJR 1, sponsored by Sen. Bettencourt, which would raise the business personal property tax exemption from $2,500 to $125,000 and place the constitutional amendment on the November 4, 2025 ballot. Business groups, realtors, and taxpayers’ advocates testified in strong support, saying the change would provide meaningful relief to small businesses and help balance earlier homeowner tax relief. The City of Fort Worth testified in opposition, warning of a revenue shift to homeowners and budget impacts, but the committee adopted the committee substitutes and reported both measures to the full Senate on 6-0 votes. The committee also heard House Bill 1399 and HJR 99, by Sen. Nichols, to exempt animal feed from property tax when it is already sales-tax exempt; no one testified against them, and both were left pending. Senate Bill 2553, by Sen. West, would let owners of historic archaeological sites protest land and structure appraisals separately, and it was left pending after supportive testimony. Senate Bill 2907 and SJR 78, also by Sen. West, would exempt certain perishable inventory, including food and some prescription drugs, from property tax if approved by voters; pharmacists, business groups, a researcher, and a coalition of retailers and food/medicine advocates supported the bill, and it was left pending. Finally, Senate Bill 1331, by Sen. Hancock and explained by Sen. Middleton, would lower the population threshold for certain municipal civil-service-related petition restrictions from 950,000 to 70,000; law enforcement representatives and a San Marcos police association supported it, and it was left pending. The committee then recessed until 15 to 30 minutes after adjournment.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Local Government (Part II) May 5th, 2025

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • In 1973, the Legislature adopted and created a hospital district known as Maybank Kemp Hospital District
  • Management District No. 1.
  • This is about the law and how we treat the law and the money of our constituents here.
  • It is in fact a local bill that amends the enabling legislation of Coal Ranch Improvement District No
  • It is another local bill that amends the enabling legislation of Hunter Ranch Improvement District No
Summary: The Committee on Local Government heard a series of local bills and public testimony focused on hospital districts, municipal management districts, local provider participation funds, manufactured housing, transit financing, development moratoriums, and property tax procedures. Early items included House Bill 467, which would help dissolve the defunct Maybank Kemp Hospital District and establish an Andrew Gibbs Memorial Nursing Endowment, and Senate Bill 3063, creating the Bio Bell Municipal Management District in Liberty County; both drew no public opposition and were left pending subject to call. The committee also heard House Bill 1327, extending the Harris County local provider participation fund through 2027, and Senate Bill 1375, extending Collin County’s LPPF authority, both presented as mechanisms to draw federal Medicaid matching funds for hospitals. A major portion of the meeting centered on Senate Bill 2764, which would require earlier notice to buyers of manufactured homes about how to convert a home from personal property to real property. Senator Cook described the bill as a consumer-information measure tied to displacement concerns at a mobile home park in her district, and a resident testified in support, saying the notice would help families make informed decisions. The committee also discussed Senate Bill 2519, a bill by Senator Bettencourt aimed at preventing local governments from shifting maintenance-and-operations tax revenue into debt-like uses and from changing the purpose of tax rate elections after voters approve them. Supporters argued it would protect taxpayers and preserve the separation between M&O and debt service, while opponents tied the bill to Austin’s Project Connect transit financing and warned it would disrupt an approved project and invite litigation. The committee heard and left pending several other bills, including House Bill 1244 on agricultural land ownership changes without reapplying for an ag exemption, House Bill 2559 on development moratoriums, and Senate Bill 2063 on unequal appraisal protests. Testimony on House Bill 2559 came from developers and builders who said moratoriums in Conroe had delayed projects and harmed buyers, while supporters of the bill said it would impose clearer limits and notice requirements. On Senate Bill 2063, the sponsor explained a committee substitute narrowing how market value evidence may be used in unequal appraisal appeals. The committee also considered multiple local district bills, including new MUDs and management districts in Montgomery, Denton, Fannin, Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties. At the end of the meeting, the committee took up pending business and voted out several measures, including House Bill 1244, House Bill 2559, House Bill 467, House Bill 1327, House Bill 1399, House Bill 2723, House Bill 2730, House Bill 3307, House Joint Resolution 99, and multiple district bills such as Senate Bills 3037, 3043, 3047, 3048, 3050, 3052, 3053, 3056, 3057, 3063, and others. Most were reported favorably, often with committee substitutes, and many were recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. Several bills, including the transit-related SB 2519 and the manufactured housing bill SB 2764, remained pending subject to call after testimony closed.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Natural Resources Apr 2nd, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • District Local Laws Code.
  • There's some minor changes in there, conforming to general law provisions in the Water Code that govern
  • the Changes in there, conforming to general law provisions in the Water Code that govern the authority
  • District Local Laws Code.
  • This House Bill, 2692, In the Special District Local Laws Code.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Natural Resources Apr 2nd, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • District. and Lone Star Regional Water Authority.
  • I do request this be sent to the local and consent calendar. And with that, I close.
  • In 2021, we created the Gulf Coast Protection District.
  • rules every four years, per the Texas Government Code.
  • Districts' desire for future conditions are challenged.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Local Government (Part II) May 15th, 2025

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Senate Committee on Local Government will come to order. The clerk will call the roll.
  • Are we still having a local? Okay, no, right. I'm the other one, that's right.
  • Are we still having a local? Okay, no, right. The other one, that's right.
  • Robert, would you like local on this? Uh, local? Okay.
  • No, it's local.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government met with a quorum and took up a series of pending bills, mostly local-government measures. Early action included final committee approval of Senate Bill 1633 and S.J.R. 60, followed by Senate Bill 3038 and Senate Bill 3045, both reported favorably and placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also considered House Bill 24, adopted a committee substitute, and reported the substitute version favorably; House Bill 2025 was likewise reported favorably and sent to the local and uncontested calendar. Members then handled several companion and local bills, including House Bill 2713 as the companion to Senate Bill 1331, which was reported favorably and placed on the local and uncontested calendar. House Bill 3348, House Bill 3370, House Bill 3505, and House Bill 4506 were each reported favorably, with no objections to local-and-uncontested placement. House Bill 5424 passed on a 6-1 vote, and House Bill 5652 passed with one present-not-voting, both also sent to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted substitutes and reported House Bill 3687 and House Bill 4205, though both were later reconsidered because the wrong script had been read. After reconsideration, House Bill 3687 and House Bill 4205 were each re-voted and reported favorably to the full Senate, with both placed on the local and uncontested calendar. Senate Bill 3071 was also reported out on a 5-2 vote after adoption of a committee substitute. The meeting ended with no further business and the committee standing at recess subject to the call of the chair.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Intergovernmental Affairs Aug 22nd, 2025

Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • We want the local law enforcement officials to be the negotiators and determiners of the provisions and
  • So it's a little bit more local. Has Texas law ever allowed this to happen? Of arrangement before?
  • Okay, Chairman Tepper, how would this impact local hospitals in a hospital district?
  • , and other special districts.
  • or special districts.
Bills: HB26, HB73, SB 14, HB46
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Finance Aug 27th, 2025

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • We've updated special education assessment language to provide alternative assistance to students with
  • F, proves re-score fixes, uh, and, uh, clarifies the TSIA substitution for EOCs fix ensures federal law
  • That's what you probably have been hearing from your school districts that they wanted when the last
  • managed or regulated by local government or property owners.
  • Assigned by Section 202.001 of the property tax code.
Bills: HB8, HB26, HB192
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Natural Resources Apr 23rd, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • Local school districts, municipalities, and counties like mine, reliant on local ad valorem property
  • The biggest expense of any school district is personnel.
  • The biggest expense of any school district is personnel.
  • And my district gets some water from a neighboring district.
  • As a rule, TWA does not engage on a local project.
Summary: The Committee on Natural Resources heard House Bill 2109, which would remove certain long-proposed reservoir projects from the state water plan after 50 years without progress. Chairman Van Deaver and many landowners, local officials, timber interests, and conservation advocates testified in support, arguing that the Marvin Nichols Reservoir has burdened Northeast Texas landowners for decades with the threat of eminent domain, depressed property values, and uncertainty over homes, farms, ranches, schools, churches, and cemeteries. Supporters also said the project would flood tens of thousands of acres, require extensive mitigation, harm timber and agriculture, and that Texas now has better alternatives such as conservation, reuse, aquifer storage and recovery, and desalination. Several members expressed sympathy for the affected families and questioned whether a project could remain in the plan indefinitely without progress. Opposition came from North Texas water interests, including the North Texas Commission, Tarrant Regional Water District, and the Texas Water Association, who argued that the bill would interfere with the state’s long-term water planning process and remove needed future supply options for a fast-growing region. They said Region C faces major projected shortages by 2070, that conservation and reuse have already delayed the need for new supplies, and that reservoirs remain one tool in the state’s water-planning toolbox. TWDB staff explained the existing inter-regional conflict process and noted that the substitute would affect several unique reservoir sites, not just Marvin Nichols. After testimony, Chairman Van Deaver closed by urging passage of the bill, but the committee withdrew the substitute and left HB 2109 pending. The committee then took up House Bill 5188, a brackish groundwater bill. The author said the bill would reduce permitting burdens for wells in designated brackish groundwater production zones, and the committee substitute added requirements on monitoring, groundwater-rights ownership, and allocation of pumpage limits while removing some exclusions and export-fee provisions. Texas Wildlife Association testified against the bill, warning that the exemptions could weaken groundwater conservation districts’ ability to protect freshwater resources and surface-owner rights. San Antonio Water System testified in favor, saying brackish groundwater is a key future supply and that the substitute would help speed development of desalination and brackish projects. The Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts testified neutrally but raised concerns about reduced district oversight, especially around injection-well exclusions and the loss of export fees, and said discussions on the bill were ongoing.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Natural Resources Apr 23rd, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • Local school districts, municipalities, Municipalities and counties like mine, reliant on local ad valorem
  • that's water needy, and my district gets some water from a neighboring district. ...And it's incredibly
  • I can speak to the water district as opposed to...
  • We never engage on a local project.
  • Groundwater Conservation District rules.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Natural Resources Apr 23rd, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • Under current law, the North Texas ground water conservation district issues permits for groundwater
  • in the Texas Special District Local Laws Code to ensure that the district's permitting. aligns with
  • Members, this is a local bill that simply seeks the boundaries of the Driftwood Conservation District
  • This is a simple local cleanup bill for the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District which is formed
  • The bill also clarifies local control by ensuring that district decisions are consistent with member
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Mar 19th, 2025

Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • This property code was written in 1983, 41 years ago.
  • Currently, the tax code defines a rental as up to 180 days, but the Business and commerce code contradicts
  • And so the federal law dealt with under the age of 13.
  • And so yes ma'am, the federal law 13 and under, our state laws trying to go above and beyond that and
  • Last month, the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas granted a preliminary
Bills: HB 186
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Transportation Apr 3rd, 2025

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • under municipal chapters of the Water Code, Transportation code, and local government code.
  • This relocation authority ensures local districts can move forward with essential infrastructure and
  • House Bill 2954 will add Section 60.1021 to the water code to clarify the navigation districts may relocate
  • This law created an animal-friendly fund through the sale of special motor vehicle license plates.
  • The bill works to reduce these tragic incidents by allowing local law enforcement to use automated traffic
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Transportation Apr 3rd, 2025

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • under municipal chapters of the Water Code, Transportation Code, and Local Government.
  • Currently, navigation districts in Texas are authorized under Chapter 60 of the Water Code to require
  • This relocation authority ensures local districts can move forward with essential infrastructure and
  • House Bill 2954 will add Section 60.1021 to the Water Code to clarify that navigation districts may relocate
  • The bill works to reduce these tragic incidents by allowing local law enforcement to use automated traffic
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Transportation Apr 3rd, 2025

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • However, it was talked to death for 10 minutes on the local and consent calendar.
  • Our districts are impacted most in the nation, not just in our state.
  • And so, having come freshly out of law school back then, twenty...
  • Supreme Court has held that state train length laws violate the U.S.
  • You've seen it in your district.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Local Government (Part II) May 26th, 2025

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Senate Local Government Committee will come to order, right? Take 2.
  • With no other business before the Local Government Committee, the committee will stand in recess, subject
  • With no other business before the Local Government Committee, the committee will stand in recess, subject
Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee briefly convened and then immediately moved to recess. Senator Paxton made a motion to recess subject to the call of the chair, which was accepted. No bills, testimony, or substantive policy issues were discussed during the meeting. With no other business before the committee, it stood in recess subject to the call of the chair.