HBA-KMH H.B. 1869 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1869 By: Pitts Higher Education 3/5/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The current state law authorizing junior college districts to annex additional territory was adopted prior to the assignment of service areas to junior college districts in 1995. The existing law was designed to limit a junior college district's annexation authority to territory which was contiguous to the actual district boundaries of the annexing junior college to avoid conflict among the various college districts by preventing a district from intentionally or inadvertently encroaching on another district's real or perceived "client community." H.B. 1869 eliminates the contiguity requirement from the definition of territory eligible to be annexed and also eliminates this contiguity requirement from the annexation election statute which references this concept. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 130.063, Education Code, to redefine "territory" to consist of a county or part of a county or a school district or part of a school district and is adjacent to the junior college district or located in the service area of the district established under Subchapter J (Junior College District Service Areas), Chapter 130, Education Code. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 2. Amends Section 130.066(a), Education Code, to authorize inclusion of a territory within the boundaries of a junior college district if it is located in the service area of the district established under Subchapter J, rather than laid out by the Coordinating Board, Texas College and University System, as a service area for assisting junior colleges. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.