| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Positive | Neutral |
Relating to fees for pipeline construction imposed by certain districts.
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
SB 1008 would prohibit irrigation districts in bracketed counties from imposing on a retail public utility unduly burdensome requirements for constructing a water or sewer pipeline or assessing fees or deposits that are greater than the actual costs to review and approve the construction proposal. This bill only applies to counties located on or near the Gulf of Mexico or an international border.
Irrigation districts are special purpose districts created by the legislature and should not have power to make public utility infrastructure development unnecessarily difficult or expensive. Texas Action supports SB 1008 as this bill prevents an undue cost burden on retail public utilities which would otherwise be passed on to ratepayers.