Bill > HB2512

This bill modifies Texas local government code provisions regarding the release of areas from a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), which is the area surrounding a city's limits where the city has certain planning and development regulatory powers. The bill expands conditions under which areas can be removed from a municipality's ETJ by petition or election, including new exemptions for specific types of areas such as those near military bases, in certain counties with rapid population growth, and in municipalities located across multiple counties. The bill also adds procedural requirements for such releases, including mandating that municipalities provide notice to residents and landowners about potential release petitions and ensuring that individual landowners have the opportunity to opt out of being removed from the ETJ. Specifically, residents can request an election to release an area if they gather signatures from at least five percent of registered voters in that area, and landowners must be given a chance to keep their property within the municipality's ETJ even if surrounding areas are being released. These changes will apply to petitions filed on or after the bill's effective date of September 1, 2025, and aim to provide more flexibility and local control over municipal extraterritorial jurisdiction boundaries.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB2512