Bill > SB0520

This bill expands the service area of the West Tennessee River Basin Authority to include Perry, Stewart, Houston, and Humphreys counties, and clarifies that while the authority's activities will now encompass these new counties, its specific support in Perry, Stewart, Houston, and Humphreys counties will be limited to technical assistance, engineering services, and project management. The bill also modifies how the authority's service area is described in state law, replacing references to specific river basins with the broader term "authority service area," and allows county governments within the service area to impose taxes on real property to fund the authority's programs, with the condition that these taxes must be levied on property deemed to benefit from the authority's work. Additionally, the bill clarifies that participation in the authority's programs is optional for counties, requiring approval from their respective legislative bodies, with an exception for the specific limitations on services in the newly added counties.