Local Government Code § 42.024

Sec. 42.024. TRANSFER OF EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION BETWEEN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES. (a) In this section: (1) "Adopting municipality" means a home-rule municipality with a population of less than 25,000 that purchases and appropriates raw water for its water utility through a transbasin diversion permit from one or two river authorities in which the municipality has territory. (2) "Releasing municipality" means a home-rule municipality with a population of more than 450,000 that owns an electric utility, that has a charter provision allowing for limited-purpose annexation, and that has annexed territory for a limited purpose. (b) The governing body of an adopting municipality may by resolution include in its extraterritorial jurisdiction an area that is in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a releasing municipality if: (1) the releasing municipality does not provide water, sewer services, and electricity to the released area; (2) the owners of a majority of the land within the released area request that the adopting municipality include in its extraterritorial jurisdiction the released area; (3) the released area is: (A) adjacent to the territory of the adopting municipality; (B) wholly within a county in which both municipalities have territory; and (C) located in one or more school districts, each of which has the majority of its territory outside the territory of the releasing municipality; (4) the adopting municipality adopts ordinances or regulations within the released area for water quality standards relating to the control or abatement of water pollution that are in conformity with those of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality applicable to the released area on January 1, 1995; (5) the adopting municipality has adopted a service plan to provide water and sewer service to the area acceptable to the owners of a majority of the land within the released area; and (6) the size of the released area does not exceed the difference between the total area within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the adopting municipality, exclusive of the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the releasing municipality, on the date the resolution was adopted under this subsection, as determined by Section 42.021, and the total area within the adopting municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction on the date of the resolution. (c)(1) The service plan under Subsection (b)(5) shall include an assessment of the availability and feasibility of participation in any regional facility permitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in which the releasing municipality is a participant and had plans to provide service to the released area. The plan for regional service shall include: (A) proposed dates for providing sewer service through the regional facility; (B) terms of financial participation to provide sewer service to the released area, including rates proposed for service sufficient to reimburse the regional participants over a reasonable time for any expenditures associated with that portion of the regional facility designed or constructed to serve the released area as of January 1, 1993; and (C) participation by the adopting municipality in governance of the regional facility based on the percentage of land to be served by the regional facility in the released area compared to the total land area to be served by the regional facility. (2) The adopting municipality shall deliver a copy of the service plan to the releasing municipality and any other participant in any regional facility described in this subsection at least 30 days before the resolution to assume extraterritorial jurisdiction. The releasing municipality and any other participant in any regional facility described in this subsection by resolution shall, within 30 days of delivery of the service plan, either accept that portion of the service plan related to participation by the adopting municipality in the regional facility or propose alternative terms of participation. (3) If the adopting municipality, the releasing municipality, and any other participant in any regional facility described in this subsection fail to reach agreement on the service plan within 60 days after the service plan is delivered, any municipality that is a participant in the regional facility or any owner of land within the area to be released may appeal the matter to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall, in its resolution of any differences between proposals submitted for review in this subsection, use a cost-of-service allocation methodology which treats each service unit in the regional facility equally, with any variance in rates to be based only on differences in costs based on the time service is provided to an area served by the regional facility. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality may allow the adopting municipality, the releasing municipality, or any other participant in any regional facility described in this subsection to withdraw from participation in the regional facility on a showing of undue financial hardship. (4) A decision by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality under this subsection is not subject to judicial review, and any costs associated with the commission's review shall be assessed to the parties to the decision in proportion to the percentage of land served by the regional facility subject to review in the jurisdiction of each party. (5) The releasing municipality shall not, prior to January 1, 1997, discontinue or terminate any interlocal agreement, contract, or commitment relating to water or sewer service that it has as of January 1, 1995, with the adopting municipality without the consent of the adopting municipality. (d) On the date the adopting municipality delivers a copy of the resolution under Subsection (b) to the municipal clerk of the releasing municipality, the released area shall be included in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the adopting municipality and excluded from the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the releasing municipality. (e) If any part of a tract of land, owned either in fee simple or under common control or undivided ownership, was or becomes split, before or after the dedication or deed of a portion of the land for a public purpose, between the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a releasing municipality and the jurisdiction of another municipality, or is land described in Subsection (b)(3)(C), the authority to act under Chapter 212 and the authority to regulate development and building with respect to the tract of land is, on the request of the owner to the municipality, with the municipality selected by the owner of the tract of land. The municipality selected under this subsection may also provide or authorize another person or entity to provide municipal services to land subject to this subsection. (f) Nothing in this section requires the releasing municipality to continue to participate in a regional wastewater treatment plant providing service, or to provide new services, to any territory within the released area. (g) This section controls over any conflicting provision of this subchapter. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 766, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 28, 1995. Amended by: Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 986 (S.B. 766), Sec. 30, eff. September 1, 2025. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 986 (S.B. 766), Sec. 31, eff. September 1, 2025.