Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB737 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1	By: Aycock (Senate Sponsor - Fraser) H.B. No. 737
2	2	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2015;
3	3	April 30, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
4	4	Intergovernmental Relations; May 22, 2015, reported favorably by
5	5	the following vote: Yeas 5, Nays 1; May 22, 2015, sent to printer.)
6	6	Click here to see the committee vote
7	7
8	8
9	9	COMMITTEE VOTE
10	10	YeaNayAbsentPNV
11	11	LucioX
12	12	BettencourtX
13	13	CampbellX
14	14	GarciaX
15	15	MenéndezX
16	16	NicholsX
17	17	TaylorofGalvestonX
18	18	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
19	19	AN ACT
20	20	relating to the creation of regional emergency communications
21	21	districts; authorizing the issuance of bonds; authorizing a fee.
22	22	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
23	23	SECTION 1. Chapter 772, Health and Safety Code, is amended
24	24	by adding Subchapter H to read as follows:
25	25	SUBCHAPTER H. REGIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DISTRICTS:
26	26	CERTAIN STATE PLANNING REGIONS WITH POPULATIONS OF AT LEAST 425,000
27	27	Sec. 772.551. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
28	28	(1) "Board" means the board of managers of a district.
29	29	(2) "District" means a regional emergency
30	30	communications district created under this subchapter.
31	31	(3) "Participating jurisdiction" means a county or
32	32	principal municipality that adopts a resolution to participate in a
33	33	district created under this subchapter.
34	34	(4) "Principal municipality" means the municipality
35	35	with the largest population in a region.
36	36	(5) "Region" means a state planning region established
37	37	under Chapter 391, Local Government Code.
38	38	(6) "Regional planning commission" means a commission
39	39	or council of governments created under Chapter 391, Local
40	40	Government Code, for a designated region.
41	41	Sec. 772.552. APPLICATION OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter
42	42	applies to a region:
43	43	(1) with a population of at least 425,000;
44	44	(2) composed of counties each with a population of
45	45	4,500 or more but less than 311,000;
46	46	(3) composed of counties and municipalities that
47	47	operate a 9-1-1 system solely through a regional planning
48	48	commission; and
49	49	(4) in which the governing bodies of each county and
50	50	the principal municipality in the region adopt a resolution under
51	51	Section 772.553 to participate in the district.
52	52	Sec. 772.553. CREATION OF DISTRICT. (a) A district is
53	53	created when the governing bodies of each county and the principal
54	54	municipality in a region adopt a resolution approving the
55	55	district's creation and the county's or municipality's
56	56	participation in the district. The district's creation is
57	57	effective on the date the last governing body of the counties and
58	58	the principal municipality that comprise the region adopts the
59	59	resolution.
60	60	(b) The district shall file with the county clerk of each
61	61	county that comprises the district a certificate declaring the
62	62	creation of the district.
63	63	Sec. 772.554. POLITICAL SUBDIVISION; DISTRICT POWERS. (a)
64	64	A district is a political subdivision of this state created to carry
65	65	out essential governmental functions.
66	66	(b) A district may exercise all powers necessary or
67	67	convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of this
68	68	subchapter.
69	69	Sec. 772.555. TERRITORY OF DISTRICT. (a) The territory of
70	70	a district consists of:
71	71	(1) the territory of the region in which the district
72	72	is established; and
73	73	(2) for each municipality partially located in the
74	74	region, the territory of that municipality located in another
75	75	region.
76	76	(b) If a municipality in the district annexes territory that
77	77	is outside the boundaries of the district, the annexed territory
78	78	becomes part of the district.
79	79	Sec. 772.556. BOARD. (a) A district is governed by a board
80	80	of managers composed of the members of the governing body of the
81	81	regional planning commission for the region in which the district
82	82	is established. Service on the board by a member of the governing
83	83	body is an additional duty of the member's office or employment.
84	84	(b) A board member serves without compensation. The
85	85	district shall pay all reasonable expenses necessarily incurred by
86	86	the board member in performing the board's functions under this
87	87	subchapter.
88	88	(c) A majority of the voting members of the board
89	89	constitutes a quorum.
90	90	Sec. 772.557. POWERS AND DUTIES OF BOARD. (a) The board
91	91	shall name, control, and manage the district.
92	92	(b) The board may adopt orders, rules, and policies
93	93	governing the operations of the board and the district.
94	94	(c) The board may contract with any person to carry out the
95	95	purposes of this subchapter.
96	96	(d) The board shall determine the nature and sources of
97	97	funding for the district. The board may accept grants or other
98	98	funding from the federal or state government, a county, a
99	99	municipality, or a private person.
100	100	(e) The board may sue in the district's name.
101	101	Sec. 772.558. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The board shall
102	102	appoint an advisory committee consisting of representatives of the
103	103	participating jurisdictions. The advisory committee shall review,
104	104	advise, and provide recommendations to the board on district
105	105	issues, including equipment, training, budget, and general
106	106	operational issues.
107	107	(b) An advisory committee member must have the training and
108	108	experience necessary to perform the duties assigned by the board.
109	109	(c) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
110	110	advisory committee.
111	111	Sec. 772.559. DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT; STAFF. (a) The
112	112	executive director of the regional planning commission in the
113	113	district's region serves as director of the district.
114	114	(b) The director shall:
115	115	(1) perform all duties required by the board;
116	116	(2) ensure that board policies and procedures are
117	117	implemented for the purposes of this subchapter; and
118	118	(3) assign employees of the regional planning
119	119	commission to perform duties under this subchapter as necessary to
120	120	carry out the district's operations.
121	121	(c) The director may use district money to compensate an
122	122	employee assigned duties under this subchapter and the director.
123	123	(d) The director and an employee assigned duties under this
124	124	subchapter are employees of the regional planning commission for
125	125	all purposes.
126	126	Sec. 772.560. BUDGET; ANNUAL REPORT; AUDIT. (a) The
127	127	director shall prepare, under the direction of the board, an annual
128	128	budget for the district. The budget and any revision of the budget
129	129	must be approved by the board.
130	130	(b) As soon as practicable after the end of each district
131	131	fiscal year, the director shall prepare and present to the board a
132	132	written report of all money received by the district and district
133	133	expenditures for the preceding fiscal year. The report must show,
134	134	in detail, the operations of the district for the period covered by
135	135	the report.
136	136	(c) The board annually shall have an independent financial
137	137	audit made of the district.
138	138	Sec. 772.561. PROVISION OF 9-1-1 SERVICE. (a) A district
139	139	shall provide 9-1-1 service to each participating jurisdiction
140	140	through one or a combination of the following methods and features
141	141	or equivalent state-of-the-art technology:
142	142	(1) the transfer method;
143	143	(2) the relay method;
144	144	(3) the dispatch method;
145	145	(4) automatic number identification;
146	146	(5) automatic location identification; or
147	147	(6) selective routing.
148	148	(b) The district shall recommend minimum standards for a
149	149	9-1-1 system. The 9-1-1 system must be computerized.
150	150	(c) For each individual telephone subscriber in the
151	151	district, 9-1-1 service is mandatory and is not an optional service
152	152	under any definition of terms relating to telephone service.
153	153	Sec. 772.562. LIABILITY. A service supplier involved in
154	154	providing 9-1-1 service, a manufacturer of equipment used in
155	155	providing 9-1-1 service, or an officer or employee of a service
156	156	supplier involved in providing 9-1-1 service may not be held liable
157	157	for any claim, damage, or loss arising from the provision of 9-1-1
158	158	service unless the act or omission proximately causing the claim,
159	159	damage, or loss constitutes gross negligence, recklessness, or
160	160	intentional misconduct.
161	161	Sec. 772.563. PRIMARY EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER. The
162	162	digits 9-1-1 are the primary emergency telephone number in a
163	163	district. A public safety agency whose services are available
164	164	through a 9-1-1 system:
165	165	(1) may maintain a separate number for an emergency
166	166	telephone call; and
167	167	(2) shall maintain a separate number for a
168	168	nonemergency telephone call.
169	169	Sec. 772.564. TRANSMITTING REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY AID. (a)
170	170	A 9-1-1 system established under this subchapter must be capable of
171	171	transmitting requests for firefighting, law enforcement,
172	172	ambulance, and medical services to a public safety agency that
173	173	provides the requested service at the location from which the call
174	174	originates. A 9-1-1 system may provide for transmitting requests
175	175	for other emergency services, including poison control, suicide
176	176	prevention, and civil defense.
177	177	(b) A public safety answering point may transmit emergency
178	178	response requests to private safety entities.
179	179	(c) With the consent of a participating jurisdiction, a
180	180	privately owned automatic intrusion alarm or other privately owned
181	181	automatic alerting device may be installed to cause the number
182	182	9-1-1 to be dialed to gain access to emergency services.
183	183	Sec. 772.565. 9-1-1 EMERGENCY SERVICE FEE. (a) The board
184	184	may impose a 9-1-1 emergency service fee on service users in the
185	185	district.
186	186	(b) The 9-1-1 emergency service fee may be imposed only on
187	187	the base rate charge or the charge's equivalent, excluding charges
188	188	for coin-operated telephone equipment. The fee may not be imposed
189	189	on:
190	190	(1) more than 100 local exchange access lines or the
191	191	lines' equivalent for a single business entity at a single
192	192	location, unless the lines are used by residents of the location; or
193	193	(2) any line that the Commission on State Emergency
194	194	Communications has excluded from the definition of a local exchange
195	195	access line or equivalent local exchange access line under Section
196	196	771.063.
197	197	(c) If a business service user provides residential
198	198	facilities, each line that terminates at a residential unit and is a
199	199	communication link equivalent to a residential local exchange
200	200	access line shall be charged the 9-1-1 emergency service fee. The
201	201	fee must have uniform application throughout the district and be
202	202	imposed in each participating jurisdiction in the district.
203	203	(d) The rate of the 9-1-1 emergency service fee may not
204	204	exceed 50 cents.
205	205	(e) The board shall set the amount of the 9-1-1 emergency
206	206	service fee each year as part of the annual budget. The board shall
207	207	notify each service supplier of a change in the amount of the fee
208	208	not later than the 91st day before the date the change takes effect.
209	209	(f) In imposing the 9-1-1 emergency service fee, the board
210	210	shall attempt to match the district's revenues to the district's
211	211	operating expenditures and to provide reasonable reserves for
212	212	contingencies and for the purchase and installation of 9-1-1
213	213	emergency service equipment. If the revenue received from the fee
214	214	exceeds the amount of money needed to fund the district, the board
215	215	by resolution shall reduce the rate of the fee to an amount adequate
216	216	to fund the district as required by this subsection or suspend the
217	217	imposition of the fee. If the board suspends the imposition of the
218	218	fee, the board by resolution may reinstitute the fee if money
219	219	received by the district is not adequate to fund the district.
220	220	(g) For a county or municipality whose governing body at a
221	221	later date votes to receive 9-1-1 service from the district, the
222	222	9-1-1 emergency service fee is imposed beginning on the date
223	223	specified by the board. The board may charge the incoming county or
224	224	municipality an additional amount of money to cover the initial
225	225	cost of providing 9-1-1 service to that county or municipality. The
226	226	fee authorized to be charged in a district applies to new territory
227	227	added to the district under Section 772.555(b) when the territory
228	228	becomes part of the district.
229	229	Sec. 772.566. COLLECTION OF 9-1-1 EMERGENCY SERVICE FEE.
230	230	(a) Each billed service user is liable for the 9-1-1 emergency
231	231	service fee imposed under Section 772.565 until the fee is paid to
232	232	the service supplier. The fee must be added to and stated
233	233	separately in the service user's bill from the service supplier.
234	234	The service supplier shall collect the fee at the same time as the
235	235	service charge to the service user in accordance with the service
236	236	supplier's regular billing practice. A business service user that
237	237	provides residential facilities and owns or leases a publicly or
238	238	privately owned telephone switch used to provide telephone service
239	239	to facility residents shall collect the fee and transmit the
240	240	collected fees monthly to the district.
241	241	(b) The amount collected by a service supplier from the
242	242	9-1-1 emergency service fee is due quarterly. The service supplier
243	243	shall remit the amount collected in a calendar quarter to the
244	244	district not later than the 60th day after the last day of the
245	245	calendar quarter. With each payment, the service supplier shall
246	246	file a return in a form prescribed by the board.
247	247	(c) Both a service supplier and a business service user
248	248	under Subsection (a) shall maintain records of the amount of 9-1-1
249	249	emergency service fees the service supplier or business service
250	250	user collects until at least the second anniversary of the date of
251	251	collection. The board may require, at the board's expense, an
252	252	annual audit of the service supplier's or business service user's
253	253	books and records with respect to the collection and remittance of
254	254	the fees.
255	255	(d) A business service user that does not collect and remit
256	256	the 9-1-1 emergency service fee as required is subject to a civil
257	257	cause of action under Subsection (g). A sworn affidavit by the
258	258	district specifying the unremitted fees is prima facie evidence
259	259	that the fees were not remitted and of the amount of the unremitted
260	260	fees.
261	261	(e) A service supplier may retain an administrative fee of
262	262	two percent of the amount of 9-1-1 emergency service fees the
263	263	service supplier collects under this section.
264	264	(f) A service supplier is not required to take any legal
265	265	action to enforce the collection of the 9-1-1 emergency service
266	266	fee. The service supplier shall provide the district with an annual
267	267	certificate of delinquency that includes the amount of all
268	268	delinquent fees and the name and address of each nonpaying service
269	269	user. The certificate of delinquency is prima facie evidence that a
270	270	fee included in the certificate is delinquent and of the amount of
271	271	the delinquent fee. A service user account is considered
272	272	delinquent if the fee is not paid to the service supplier before the
273	273	31st day after the payment due date stated on the user's bill from
274	274	the service supplier.
275	275	(g) The district may file legal proceedings against a
276	276	service user to collect 9-1-1 emergency service fees not paid by the
277	277	service user and may establish internal collection procedures and
278	278	recover the cost of collection from the nonpaying service user. If
279	279	legal proceedings are filed by the district, the court may award
280	280	costs, attorney's fees, and interest to be paid by the nonpaying
281	281	service user. A delinquent fee accrues interest at the legal rate
282	282	beginning on the date the payment becomes due.
283	283	Sec. 772.567. DISTRICT DEPOSITORY. (a) The board shall
284	284	select a depository for the district in the manner provided by law
285	285	for the selection of a county depository.
286	286	(b) A depository selected by the board is the district's
287	287	depository until the second anniversary of the date of selection
288	288	and until a successor depository is selected and qualified.
289	289	Sec. 772.568. ALLOWABLE EXPENSES. A district's allowable
290	290	operating expenses include all costs attributable to designing a
291	291	9-1-1 system and all equipment and personnel necessary to establish
292	292	and operate a public safety answering point and other related
293	293	operations that the board considers necessary.
294	294	Sec. 772.569. NUMBER AND LOCATION IDENTIFICATION. (a) As
295	295	part of computerized 9-1-1 service, a service supplier shall
296	296	furnish, for each call, the telephone number of the subscriber and
297	297	the address associated with the number.
298	298	(b) A business service user that provides residential
299	299	facilities and owns or leases a publicly or privately owned
300	300	telephone switch used to provide telephone service to facility
301	301	residents shall provide to those residential end users the same
302	302	level of 9-1-1 service that a service supplier is required to
303	303	provide under Subsection (a) to other residential end users in the
304	304	district.
305	305	(c) Information furnished under this section is
306	306	confidential and is not available for public inspection.
307	307	(d) A service supplier or business service user under
308	308	Subsection (b) may not be held liable to a person who uses a 9-1-1
309	309	system created under this subchapter for the release to the
310	310	district of the information specified in Subsections (a) and (b).
311	311	Sec. 772.570. PUBLIC REVIEW. (a) Periodically, the board
312	312	shall solicit public comments and hold a public review hearing on
313	313	the continuation of the district and the 9-1-1 emergency service
314	314	fee. The first hearing shall be held on or before the third
315	315	anniversary of the date of the district's creation. Subsequent
316	316	hearings shall be held on or before the third anniversary of the
317	317	date each resolution required by Subsection (c) is adopted.
318	318	(b) The board shall publish notice of the time and place of a
319	319	hearing once a week for two consecutive weeks in a daily newspaper
320	320	of general circulation published in the district. The first notice
321	321	must be published not later than the 16th day before the date set
322	322	for the hearing.
323	323	(c) After the hearing, the board shall adopt a resolution on
324	324	the continuation or dissolution of the district and the 9-1-1
325	325	emergency service fee.
326	326	Sec. 772.571. DISSOLUTION PROCEDURES. (a) If a district is
327	327	dissolved, 9-1-1 service must be discontinued. The regional
328	328	planning commission for the district's region shall assume the
329	329	district's assets, provide 9-1-1 service, and pay the district's
330	330	debts. If the district's assets are insufficient to retire all
331	331	existing debts of the district on the date of dissolution, the
332	332	regional planning commission shall continue to impose the 9-1-1
333	333	emergency service fee, and each service supplier shall continue to
334	334	collect the fee for the regional planning commission. Proceeds
335	335	from the imposition of the fee by the regional planning commission
336	336	after dissolution of the district may be used only to retire the
337	337	outstanding debts of the district.
338	338	(b) The regional planning commission shall retire the
339	339	district's debts to the extent practicable according to the terms
340	340	of the instruments creating the debts and the terms of the
341	341	resolutions authorizing creation of the debts.
342	342	(c) The governing body of the regional planning commission
343	343	for the district's region may adopt rules necessary to administer
344	344	this section.
345	345	Sec. 772.572. ISSUANCE OF BONDS. The board may issue bonds
346	346	in the name of the district to finance:
347	347	(1) the acquisition by any method of facilities,
348	348	equipment, or supplies necessary for the district to provide 9-1-1
349	349	service to each participating jurisdiction; or
350	350	(2) the installation of equipment necessary for the
351	351	district to provide 9-1-1 service to each participating
352	352	jurisdiction.
353	353	Sec. 772.573. REPAYMENT OF BONDS. The board may provide for
354	354	the payment of principal of and interest on district bonds by
355	355	pledging all or part of the district's revenues from the 9-1-1
356	356	emergency service fee or from other sources.
357	357	Sec. 772.574. ADDITIONAL SECURITY FOR BONDS. (a) District
358	358	bonds may be additionally secured by a deed of trust or mortgage
359	359	lien on all or part of the district's physical properties and rights
360	360	appurtenant to the properties, vesting in the trustee power to sell
361	361	the properties for payment of the indebtedness, power to operate
362	362	the properties, and any other power necessary for the further
363	363	security of the bonds.
364	364	(b) The bond trust indenture, regardless of the existence of
365	365	a deed of trust or mortgage lien on the properties, may:
366	366	(1) contain provisions prescribed by the board for the
367	367	security of the bonds and the preservation of the trust estate; and
368	368	(2) make provisions for:
369	369	(A) amendment or modification; and
370	370	(B) investment of district funds.
371	371	(c) A purchaser under a sale under the deed of trust or
372	372	mortgage lien is the absolute owner of the properties and rights
373	373	purchased and may maintain and operate the properties.
374	374	Sec. 772.575. FORM OF BONDS. (a) A district may issue
375	375	bonds in various series or issues.
376	376	(b) Bonds may mature serially or otherwise not more than 25
377	377	years after the bonds' date of issuance. Bonds shall bear interest
378	378	at any rate permitted by state law.
379	379	(c) A district's bonds and interest coupons:
380	380	(1) are investment securities under Chapter 8,
381	381	Business & Commerce Code;
382	382	(2) may be issued registrable as to principal or to
383	383	both principal and interest; and
384	384	(3) may be made redeemable before maturity or contain
385	385	a mandatory redemption provision at the option of the district.
386	386	(d) A district may issue bonds in the form, denomination,
387	387	and manner and under the terms and conditions provided by the board
388	388	in the resolution authorizing the bonds' issuance. The bonds must
389	389	be signed and executed as provided by the board in the resolution.
390	390	Sec. 772.576. PROVISIONS OF BONDS. (a) In this section,
391	391	"resolution" means a board resolution authorizing the issuance of
392	392	bonds, including refunding bonds.
393	393	(b) In a resolution, the board may:
394	394	(1) provide for the flow of funds and the
395	395	establishment and maintenance of an interest and sinking fund,
396	396	reserve fund, or other fund; and
397	397	(2) make additional covenants with respect to the
398	398	bonds, the pledged revenues, and the operation and maintenance of
399	399	any facilities the revenue of which is pledged.
400	400	(c) A resolution may:
401	401	(1) prohibit the further issuance of bonds or other
402	402	obligations payable from the pledged revenue; or
403	403	(2) reserve the right to issue additional bonds to be
404	404	secured by a pledge of and payable from the revenue on a parity with
405	405	or subordinate to the lien and pledge in support of the bonds being
406	406	issued.
407	407	(d) A resolution may contain other provisions and covenants
408	408	determined by the board.
409	409	(e) The board may adopt and have executed any other
410	410	proceedings or instruments necessary or convenient for issuance of
411	411	bonds.
412	412	Sec. 772.577. APPROVAL AND REGISTRATION OF BONDS. (a)
413	413	Bonds issued by a district must be submitted to the attorney general
414	414	for examination.
415	415	(b) If the attorney general finds that the bonds have been
416	416	authorized in accordance with law, the attorney general shall
417	417	approve the bonds. On approval by the attorney general, the
418	418	comptroller shall register the bonds.
419	419	(c) After approval and registration, the bonds are
420	420	incontestable in any court or other forum for any reason and are
421	421	valid and binding obligations in accordance with the bonds' terms
422	422	for all purposes.
423	423	Sec. 772.578. REFUNDING BONDS. (a) A district may issue
424	424	bonds to refund all or any part of the district's outstanding bonds,
425	425	including matured and unpaid interest coupons.
426	426	(b) Refunding bonds shall mature serially or otherwise, as
427	427	determined by the board, not more than 25 years after the bonds'
428	428	date of issuance. Bonds shall bear interest at any rate permitted
429	429	by state law.
430	430	(c) Refunding bonds may be payable from the same source as
431	431	the bonds being refunded or from other sources.
432	432	(d) Refunding bonds must be approved by the attorney general
433	433	in the same manner as the district's other bonds. The comptroller
434	434	shall register the refunding bonds on the surrender and
435	435	cancellation of the bonds being refunded.
436	436	(e) A resolution authorizing the issuance of refunding
437	437	bonds may provide that the bonds be sold and the proceeds deposited
438	438	in a place at which the bonds being refunded are payable, in which
439	439	case the refunding bonds may be issued before the cancellation of
440	440	the bonds being refunded. If refunding bonds are issued before
441	441	cancellation of the other bonds, an amount sufficient to pay the
442	442	principal of the bonds being refunded and interest on those bonds
443	443	accruing to the bonds' maturity dates or option dates, if the bonds
444	444	have been duly called for payment before maturity according to the
445	445	bonds' terms, must be deposited in the place at which the bonds
446	446	being refunded are payable. The comptroller shall register the
447	447	refunding bonds without the surrender and cancellation of the bonds
448	448	being refunded.
449	449	(f) A refunding may be accomplished in one or more
450	450	installment deliveries. Refunding bonds and the bonds' interest
451	451	coupons are investment securities under Chapter 8, Business &
452	452	Commerce Code.
453	453	(g) Instead of the method set forth in Subsections (a)-(f),
454	454	a district may refund bonds, notes, or other obligations as
455	455	provided by the general laws of this state.
456	456	Sec. 772.579. BONDS AS INVESTMENTS AND SECURITY FOR
457	457	DEPOSITS. (a) District bonds are legal and authorized investments
458	458	for:
459	459	(1) a bank;
460	460	(2) a savings bank;
461	461	(3) a credit union;
462	462	(4) a trust company;
463	463	(5) a savings and loan association;
464	464	(6) an insurance company;
465	465	(7) a fiduciary;
466	466	(8) a trustee;
467	467	(9) a guardian; and
468	468	(10) a sinking fund of a municipality, county, school
469	469	district, special district, and other political subdivision of this
470	470	state and other public funds of this state and state agencies,
471	471	including the permanent school fund.
472	472	(b) District bonds may secure deposits of public funds of
473	473	the state or a municipality, county, school district, or other
474	474	political subdivision of this state. The bonds are lawful and
475	475	sufficient security for deposits to the extent of the bonds' value
476	476	if accompanied by all unmatured coupons.
477	477	(c) District bonds are authorized investments under Chapter
478	478	2256, Government Code.
479	479	Sec. 772.580. EXEMPTION FROM TAXATION. A bond issued by the
480	480	district under this subchapter, any transaction relating to the
481	481	bond, and profits made in the sale or redemption of the bond are
482	482	exempt from taxation by the state or by any municipality, county,
483	483	special district, or other political subdivision of this state.
484	484	Sec. 772.581. TRANSFER OF ASSETS. If a regional emergency
485	485	communications district is established under this subchapter, the
486	486	regional planning commission for the region in which the district
487	487	is established may transfer to the district any land, buildings,
488	488	improvements, equipment, and other assets acquired by the regional
489	489	planning commission in relation to the provision of 9-1-1 service.
490	490	SECTION 2. Section 771.001(3), Health and Safety Code, is
491	491	amended to read as follows:
492	492	(3) "Emergency communication district" means:
493	493	(A) a public agency or group of public agencies
494	494	acting jointly that provided 9-1-1 service before September 1,
495	495	1987, or that had voted or contracted before that date to provide
496	496	that service; or
497	497	(B) a district created under Subchapter B, C, D,
498	498	F, [or] G, or H, Chapter 772.
499	499	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
500	500	* * * * *