BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 2020 By: Creighton County Affairs Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Woodlands Township is located in Montgomery County and encompasses a master planned community known as The Woodlands, Texas. Interested parties assert that certain changes should be made to the district's enabling legislation, which was originally established over two decades ago, to provide for certain additional powers for the district. S.B. 2020 seeks to make these changes. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS S.B. 2020 amends Chapter 289, Acts of the 73rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, to establish as a public purpose of The Woodlands Township the safe and efficient movement of people by motor vehicle, rail, trolley, bus, bicycle, pedestrian means, waterborne vessel, or other means of transportation. The bill authorizes the district, in order to promote business retention, sustain employment, and prevent substandard and blighted housing conditions, to merge or consolidate with a qualified association to carry out specified functions and makes changes to the applicable definitions of "qualified association" and "community covenant." S.B. 2020 establishes that the district is an "endorsing municipality" for certain economic development purposes. The bill entitles the district to receive a certified appraisal roll, an estimate of the taxable value of property in the district, and assistance in determining values of property in the district in the manner provided by specified Tax Code provisions for a municipality. The bill removes the requirement that the boundaries of the district that are recorded in the real property records of each county in which all or part of the district is situated after the addition of territory to the district by election be by map or plat and instead authorizes the boundaries to be described by metes and bounds, plat, or reference to a previously recorded instrument. S.B. 2020 authorizes the district to engage in or contract with another person to perform activities that accomplish the transportation and traffic movement purposes of the district. The bill authorizes the district to apply for and receive state and federal transportation funding. The bill grants the district the rights associated with the funding and authorizes the district to carry out functions and perform obligations associated with the funding as the designated recipient or otherwise. The bill authorizes the district to contract for an improvement to a boundary highway and consent to the imposition of an assessment by a municipality for such an improvement in the manner provided by specified Transportation Code provisions for a municipality. The bill authorizes the district to adopt and enforce by ordinary civil remedies rules regarding access to and use of the district's transportation projects, facilities, programs, and services. The bill authorizes the district to charge a fare, fee, rate, toll, or other charge for the use of a district transportation project, facility, program, or service. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
S.B. 2020
By: Creighton
County Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)
S.B. 2020
By: Creighton
County Affairs
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Woodlands Township is located in Montgomery County and encompasses a master planned community known as The Woodlands, Texas. Interested parties assert that certain changes should be made to the district's enabling legislation, which was originally established over two decades ago, to provide for certain additional powers for the district. S.B. 2020 seeks to make these changes.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS S.B. 2020 amends Chapter 289, Acts of the 73rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, to establish as a public purpose of The Woodlands Township the safe and efficient movement of people by motor vehicle, rail, trolley, bus, bicycle, pedestrian means, waterborne vessel, or other means of transportation. The bill authorizes the district, in order to promote business retention, sustain employment, and prevent substandard and blighted housing conditions, to merge or consolidate with a qualified association to carry out specified functions and makes changes to the applicable definitions of "qualified association" and "community covenant." S.B. 2020 establishes that the district is an "endorsing municipality" for certain economic development purposes. The bill entitles the district to receive a certified appraisal roll, an estimate of the taxable value of property in the district, and assistance in determining values of property in the district in the manner provided by specified Tax Code provisions for a municipality. The bill removes the requirement that the boundaries of the district that are recorded in the real property records of each county in which all or part of the district is situated after the addition of territory to the district by election be by map or plat and instead authorizes the boundaries to be described by metes and bounds, plat, or reference to a previously recorded instrument. S.B. 2020 authorizes the district to engage in or contract with another person to perform activities that accomplish the transportation and traffic movement purposes of the district. The bill authorizes the district to apply for and receive state and federal transportation funding. The bill grants the district the rights associated with the funding and authorizes the district to carry out functions and perform obligations associated with the funding as the designated recipient or otherwise. The bill authorizes the district to contract for an improvement to a boundary highway and consent to the imposition of an assessment by a municipality for such an improvement in the manner provided by specified Transportation Code provisions for a municipality. The bill authorizes the district to adopt and enforce by ordinary civil remedies rules regarding access to and use of the district's transportation projects, facilities, programs, and services. The bill authorizes the district to charge a fare, fee, rate, toll, or other charge for the use of a district transportation project, facility, program, or service.
EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Woodlands Township is located in Montgomery County and encompasses a master planned community known as The Woodlands, Texas. Interested parties assert that certain changes should be made to the district's enabling legislation, which was originally established over two decades ago, to provide for certain additional powers for the district. S.B. 2020 seeks to make these changes.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
S.B. 2020 amends Chapter 289, Acts of the 73rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1993, to establish as a public purpose of The Woodlands Township the safe and efficient movement of people by motor vehicle, rail, trolley, bus, bicycle, pedestrian means, waterborne vessel, or other means of transportation. The bill authorizes the district, in order to promote business retention, sustain employment, and prevent substandard and blighted housing conditions, to merge or consolidate with a qualified association to carry out specified functions and makes changes to the applicable definitions of "qualified association" and "community covenant."
S.B. 2020 establishes that the district is an "endorsing municipality" for certain economic development purposes. The bill entitles the district to receive a certified appraisal roll, an estimate of the taxable value of property in the district, and assistance in determining values of property in the district in the manner provided by specified Tax Code provisions for a municipality. The bill removes the requirement that the boundaries of the district that are recorded in the real property records of each county in which all or part of the district is situated after the addition of territory to the district by election be by map or plat and instead authorizes the boundaries to be described by metes and bounds, plat, or reference to a previously recorded instrument.
S.B. 2020 authorizes the district to engage in or contract with another person to perform activities that accomplish the transportation and traffic movement purposes of the district. The bill authorizes the district to apply for and receive state and federal transportation funding. The bill grants the district the rights associated with the funding and authorizes the district to carry out functions and perform obligations associated with the funding as the designated recipient or otherwise. The bill authorizes the district to contract for an improvement to a boundary highway and consent to the imposition of an assessment by a municipality for such an improvement in the manner provided by specified Transportation Code provisions for a municipality. The bill authorizes the district to adopt and enforce by ordinary civil remedies rules regarding access to and use of the district's transportation projects, facilities, programs, and services. The bill authorizes the district to charge a fare, fee, rate, toll, or other charge for the use of a district transportation project, facility, program, or service.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.