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Votes at a glance: committee advances multiple local-government measures
Summary
The committee advanced multiple measures by voice vote (SB 583, HB 1692, HB 1663 as amended, HB 17-28, HB 17-29, SB 461 as amended) and passed SB 481 on a roll call (5–1); sponsors said technical amendments will follow in several bills.
The Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee considered a series of local-government bills and recorded committee action on several items.
Key outcomes: • SB 583: Clean-up language for utility credit-card collections — motion to pass adopted by voice vote; chair announced passage. • HB 1692: Allows municipalities under 10,000 to contract for a city attorney by ordinance or election — passed by voice vote. • HB 1663: Improvement-district transparency and landowner-vote requirement — amendment adopted and bill passed as amended by voice vote (requires FOIA records maintenance and majority-landowner votes for additional debt, with specified exemptions). • HB 17-28: Expands design-build delivery method options for local governments for water/wastewater and solar projects — passed by voice vote. • HB 17-29: Expands interlocal cooperation authority for consolidated waterworks systems — passed by voice vote. • SB 481: Comprehensive water-provider reform (rate studies, training, representation trigger) — passed on roll call (chair summarized the vote as 5–1); sponsor indicated technical clarifications will be filed. • SB 461: Fire-protection district dues collection on tax rolls (as amended) — passed by voice vote; sponsor committed to a House-side amendment requiring quorum-court review/approval of dues.
Several bills generated substantial public testimony and requests for technical amendments; the committee recorded follow-up tasks for sponsors to clarify drafting and address oversight concerns before the measures move to the next chamber.
