HBA-TBM H.B. 2746 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2746 By: Carter County Affairs 7/17/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE During the interim immediately prior to the 77th Legislature, the House Committee on Urban Affairs (committee) researched whether emergency services districts and rural fire prevention districts are able to provide the highest quality services under statutory requirements. Testimony by the fire fighters indicated that they needed greater flexibility in structuring districts to provide fire protection and emergency services. The committee published an interim report with several recommendations including amendments to provisions relating to shared territories. House Bill 2746 implements these recommendations. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 2746 amends the Health and Safety Code to modify the contents of a petition for the creation of an emergency services district (ESD) or rural fire prevention district (RFPD) or for the creation of an ESD and the dissolution of a RFPD to include the services provided by the ESD or RFPD and that the creation of the district complies with provisions regarding overlapping territories (Secs. 775.013, 775.023, 776.013, and 794.013). The bill modifies and adds language to conform provisions regarding overlapping territory for ESDs and RFPDs and to conform provisions regarding overlapping territory of ESDs and RFPDs located wholly in a county with a population of more than three million (Secs. 775.020, 775.0205, 776.021, 794.020, and 794.0205). EFFECTIVE DATE June 16, 2001.