85R25372 AAF-F
By: Herrero H.B. No. 2593
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2593:
By: Morrison C.S.H.B. No. 2593
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to franchises granted by navigation districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 61.164(b) and (d), Water Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(b) No franchise shall be granted for longer than 50 [30]
years nor shall a franchise be granted except on the affirmative
vote of a majority of the commissioners at three separate meetings
of the commission which meetings may not be closer together than one
week. The third meeting at which the commission votes to grant a
franchise may not take place before the date the notice required by
Subsection (c) is published for the third time.
(d) The franchise shall require the grantee to file a [his
or their] written acceptance within 30 days after the franchise is
finally approved by the commission. Unless the district and the
grantee agree on a later date, the effective date of the franchise
is the date the grantee files the written acceptance with the
commission.
SECTION 2. Section 63.178, Water Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (b), (c), and (d) and adding Subsection (c-1)
to read as follows:
(b) A franchise may be granted for a period of not more than
50 [30] years.
(c) Before the franchise is granted, the commission must
approve the franchise by a majority vote at three separate meetings
held at least one week apart and must publish notice. The third
meeting at which the commission votes to grant a franchise may not
take place before the date the notice required by this subsection is
published for the third time.
(c-1) For the purposes of Subsection (c) [this subsection],
notice must be published at the expense of the applicant, once a
week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper published in the
district. The notice must consist of:
(1) the text of the franchise in full; or
(2) a descriptive caption stating the purpose of the
franchise and the location at which a complete copy of the franchise
may be obtained.
(d) The franchise shall require the grantee to file a [his]
written acceptance within 30 days from the day the franchise is
finally approved by the commission. Unless the district and the
grantee agree on a later date, the effective date of the franchise
is the date the grantee files the written acceptance with the
commission.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.