– 88th Texas Legislative Update Summary
– Bills Impacting Development Services
– Timeline of Board/Council Action
– REVISED – 2023 Application Submittal Calendar Deadline Dates
– 2024 Application Submittal Calendar Deadline Dates – COMING SOON

88th Texas Legislative Update Summary

As referenced on the Texas House of Representatives – Frequently Asked Questions page, the Legislature of the State of Texas, operating under the biennial system, convenes its regular sessions at noon on the second Tuesday in January of odd-numbered years. The maximum duration of a regular session is 140 days. The governor is given authority under the state constitution to convene the legislature at other times during the biennium. Such sessions are known as called or special sessions and are reserved for legislation that the governor deems critically important in the conduct of state affairs. Called sessions are limited to a period of 30 days, during which the legislature is permitted to pass laws only on subjects submitted by the governor in calling for the session.

In Texas, as in the Congress and most other states, the lawmaking process involves four major stages: introduction, committee action, floor action, and enrollment. In a bicameral legislature like Texas’, with both a house and a senate, the first three stages must occur in each of the houses consecutively. After the house in which the bill is introduced completes action on the measure, the bill is sent to the second house, where the process is repeated through the three stages. The fourth stage, enrollment, occurs in the originating house after both houses have agreed on the final form of the proposal. See How a Bill Becomes a Law.

At the closure of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, a number of bills were passed and signed into law that directly impacted development and development processes. Here in the next few sections, we will provide insight on Council and Commission meetings and also break a few bills down to share the direct impact to development services and what that looks like for applicants and City staff.

Bills Impacting Development Services

Noted below are the bills that have impacted our development processes along with an outline of Board/Council meetings/action.

• • HB 3699 – Platting, Shot Clock, and Delegation
  • HB 586 – Annexation of Right of Way (ROW)
  • SB 929 – Non-Conformity & Zoning Notices
  • SB 2038 – Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) Disannezation

Timeline of Board/Council Action

As a result of these particular bills passing, we have adjusted a few of our development processes and procedures and have outlined them within the below presentations to both the Planning & Zoning Commision and City Council.

P&Z Action

On June 20, 2023 the Planning & Zoning Commission received a presentation reviewing each bill as it relates to development processes.

On August 1, 2023, the Planning & Zoning Commision approved the proposed changes to the Unified Development Code as it relates to the legislative impact of each of the previously discussion bills.

City Council Action

On July 11, 2023, the City Council received a workshop presentation reviewing each bill, and our proposal for ensuring we are compliant to the newly established laws in our approach to process updates. Item 1.A: GTV Recording

On August 8, 2023, the City Council approved the ordinance change regarding the proposed changes to the Unified Development Code on first reading. Item 6.F: GTV Recording

On August 22, 2023, the City Council approved the ordinance change regarding the proposed changes to the Unified Development Code on second reading. Item 5.AC: GTV Recording