Texas 2015 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB839 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/27/2015

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                    84R8349 KJE-F
 By: Garcia S.B. No. 839


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the Generation Park Management District.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 3916.002, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 3916.002.  CREATION AND NATURE OF DISTRICT; IMMUNITY.
 (a) The Generation Park Management District is a special district
 created under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution.
 (b)  The district is a governmental unit under Chapter 101,
 Civil Practice and Remedies Code, and the operations of the
 district are essential government functions and are not proprietary
 functions for any purpose, including the application of Chapter
 101, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
 (c)  This chapter does not waive any governmental or
 sovereign immunity from suit, liability, or judgment that would
 otherwise apply to the district.
 SECTION 2.  Section 3916.006, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended by amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection
 (f) to read as follows:
 (d)  The district will:
 (1)  promote the health, safety, and general welfare of
 residents, employers, potential employees, employees, visitors,
 and consumers in the district, and of the public;
 (2)  provide needed funding for the district to
 preserve, maintain, and enhance the economic health and vitality of
 the district territory as a community and business center;
 (3)  promote the health, safety, welfare, and enjoyment
 of the public by providing pedestrian ways, road facilities,
 transit facilities, parking facilities, conduit facilities, rail
 facilities and other enhanced infrastructure, [and] recreational
 facilities, and public art and by landscaping and developing
 certain areas, which are necessary for the restoration,
 preservation, and enhancement of scenic and aesthetic beauty; and
 (4)  provide for water, wastewater, and drainage[,
 road, rail, and recreational] facilities for the district.
 (f)  The district will not act as the agent or
 instrumentality of any private interest even though the district
 will benefit many private interests as well as the public.
 SECTION 3.  Section 3916.008, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 3916.008.  ELIGIBILITY FOR INCLUSION IN SPECIAL
 ZONES.  All or any part of the area of the district is eligible to
 be included in one or more of the following:
 (1)  a tax increment reinvestment zone created under
 Chapter 311, Tax Code;
 (2)  a tax abatement reinvestment zone created under
 Chapter 312, Tax Code;
 (3)  an enterprise zone created under Chapter 2303,
 Government Code;
 (4)  a foreign trade zone created under Chapter 681,
 Business & Commerce Code; or
 (5)  an industrial district created under Chapter 42,
 Local Government Code.
 SECTION 4.  Section 3916.011, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 3916.011.  CONFLICTS OF LAW.  This chapter prevails
 over any provision of general law, including a provision of Chapter
 375, Local Government Code, or Chapter 49, Water Code, that is in
 conflict or inconsistent with this chapter.
 SECTION 5.  Subchapter B, Chapter 3916, Special District
 Local Laws Code, is amended by adding Section 3916.054 to read as
 follows:
 Sec. 3916.054.  DISQUALIFICATION OF DIRECTORS. Section
 49.052, Water Code, applies to the district.
 SECTION 6.  Section 3916.103, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 3916.103.  RECREATIONAL FACILITIES.  The district may
 develop or finance recreational facilities as authorized by Chapter
 375, Local Government Code, Sections 52 and 52-a, Article III,
 Texas Constitution, Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution,
 and any other law that applies to the district.
 SECTION 7.  Section 3916.104, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 3916.104.  AUTHORITY FOR ROAD PROJECTS.  Under Section
 52, Article III, Texas Constitution, the district may own, operate,
 maintain, design, acquire, construct, finance, issue bonds, notes,
 or other obligations for, and improve[, and convey to this state, a
 county, or a municipality for operation and maintenance]
 macadamized, graveled, or paved roads or improvements, including
 storm drainage and other improvements located in or adjacent to
 road rights-of-way, in aid of those roads.
 SECTION 8.  Sections 3916.105(a) and (b), Special District
 Local Laws Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  The district may [shall] convey a road project
 authorized by Section 3916.104 to:
 (1)  the municipality or county that will operate and
 maintain the road if the municipality or county has approved the
 plans and specifications of the road project; or
 (2)  the state if the state will operate and maintain
 the road and the Texas Transportation Commission has approved the
 plans and specifications of the road project.
 (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), the district shall
 operate and maintain a road project authorized by Section 3916.104
 that the district implements and does [is] not convey to [approved
 by] a municipality, a county, or this state under Subsection (a).
 SECTION 9.  Section 3916.110, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 3916.110.  LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES. Section 49.216,
 Water Code, applies to the district [To protect the public
 interest, the district may contract with a qualified party,
 including the county or the city, to provide law enforcement
 services in the district for a separate fee or as otherwise provided
 by the contract].
 SECTION 10.  Section 3916.116(a), Special District Local
 Laws Code, is amended to read as follows:
 (a)  Subchapter I, Chapter 49, Water Code, applies to a
 district contract for construction work, equipment, materials, or
 machinery. Notwithstanding Sections 2269.003(a) and 2269.352,
 Government Code, the [The] district may use any [a] project
 delivery method described by Subchapter I, Chapter 49, Water Code,
 or Chapter 2269 [2267], Government Code, including a delivery
 method described by Subchapter H, Chapter 2269, Government Code.
 SECTION 11.  Subchapter C, Chapter 3916, Special District
 Local Laws Code, is amended by adding Section 3916.119 to read as
 follows:
 Sec. 3916.119.  FIREFIGHTING AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL
 SERVICES. (a) Subchapter L, Chapter 49, Water Code, applies to the
 district.
 (b)  The district may remove all or part of the district's
 territory from a district providing firefighting or emergency
 medical services in the same manner a municipality annexing
 territory in such a district may remove that territory. The
 district may remove that territory regardless of whether the
 territory was originally included in such a district or was
 subsequently annexed.
 (c)  On the removal of territory under Subsection (b), each
 district from which territory was removed shall change its records
 to show that the territory has been disannexed and shall cease to
 provide further services to the residents of that territory.
 (d)  The district's right to remove territory under
 Subsection (b) is conditioned on the execution of an agreement for
 the removal of the territory entered into under Chapter 791,
 Government Code, or other applicable law, between the district and
 each district from which the territory will be removed. The
 agreement may include terms for the payment of funds from the
 district's current revenues for the continued provision of
 firefighting or emergency medical services to the district or such
 other lawful terms that the parties consider appropriate.
 (e)  The disannexation of territory under this section does
 not diminish or impair the rights of the holders of any outstanding
 and unpaid bonds, warrants, or other obligations, including loans
 and lease-purchase agreements, of the district from which the
 territory was removed.
 SECTION 12.  Section 3916.153, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 3916.153.  RULES.  (a) The district has the general
 power and duty to adopt and enforce rules as provided by Section
 375.096(c), Local Government Code.
 (b)  The district may adopt and enforce rules covering its
 public transit system or its public parking facilities, except that
 a rule relating to or affecting the use of the public right-of-way
 or a requirement for off-street parking is subject to
 all  applicable county requirements.
 SECTION 13.  Section 3916.351, Special District Local Laws
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 3916.351.  DISSOLUTION OF DISTRICT [WITH OUTSTANDING
 DEBT]. Notwithstanding Section 375.263(b), Local Government Code,
 on dissolution of the district, the board shall determine whether
 the district's assets will escheat to the state or are transferred
 to a political subdivision of the state. [(a) The board may dissolve
 the district regardless of whether the district has debt. Section
 375.264, Local Government Code, does not apply to the district.
 [(b)     If the district has debt when it is dissolved, the
 district shall remain in existence solely for the purpose of
 discharging its debts. The dissolution is effective when all debts
 have been discharged.]
 SECTION 14.  The change in law made by Section 3916.054,
 Special District Local Laws Code, as added by this Act, does not
 affect the entitlement of a member serving on the board of directors
 of the Generation Park Management District immediately before the
 effective date of this Act to continue to carry out the board's
 functions for the remainder of the member's term. The change in law
 applies only to a member elected on or after the effective date of
 this Act.
 SECTION 15.  (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 16.  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.