Relating to the creation of the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 286; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes.
ModeratePlan for compliance
High Cost
Effective:2025-06-20
Enforcing Agencies
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) • City of Rosenberg (Municipal Consent & Development Agreement) • Texas Transportation Commission (Road project approval if state-maintained)
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Compliance Analysis
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Implementation Timeline
Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Law is currently active due to 2/3 vote passage).
Compliance Deadline:Immediate. Temporary Directors must convene for an organizational meeting. The Development Agreement must be executed prior to the confirmation election.
Agency Rulemaking: No new state agency rules required. However, the District Board must immediately adopt internal orders to govern elections and taxation.
Immediate Action Plan
Convene the Board: Hold the organizational meeting of the Temporary Directors immediately to elect officers.
Engage the City: Initiate formal negotiations with the City of Rosenberg regarding the Development Agreement and annexation timeline.
Launch Transparency Portal: Activate the District website to satisfy Tax Code transparency requirements.
Secure Insurance: Purchase D&O liability insurance and execute Director bonds.
Operational Changes Required
Contracts
Mandatory Development Agreement: You must negotiate and execute a tri-party agreement between the District, the City of Rosenberg, and majority landowners. This contract is a condition precedent for all future financing.
Reimbursement Agreements: Developers advancing infrastructure funds must execute agreements with the District that strictly adhere to TCEQ rules to ensure future repayment eligibility from bond proceeds.
Construction Contracts: Contracts for road projects must specify adherence to City of Rosenberg or Fort Bend County construction standards to ensure future conveyance.
Hiring/Training
Board Organization: The five named Temporary Directors (Arce, Moarefi, Aussenberg, Chun, Olsen) must execute $10,000 performance bonds and obtain Directors & Officers (D&O) liability insurance immediately.
Consultant Retention: The Board must appoint legal counsel, a financial advisor, and a district engineer to prepare the Bond Application Report for the TCEQ.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
Website Compliance: You must immediately launch a publicly accessible website containing tax rates, financial data, and board information to comply with Tax Code Sec. 26.18.
Jurisdictional Filings: The District must file a copy of HB5661 and a boundary map with the TCEQ and the Fort Bend County Clerk.
Fees & Costs
Unlimited Tax Liability: The District is authorized to impose unlimited ad valorem taxes to secure bond payments, subject to voter approval.
Maintenance Budgeting: Until roads are formally accepted by the City or County, the District must budget for ongoing road maintenance.
Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations
Municipal Veto Power: The statute requires a "mutually approved" Development Agreement but does not compel the City of Rosenberg to sign. The City holds effective veto power; if they refuse terms, the District is legally frozen and cannot issue bonds.
Road Acceptance Risk: While the District is authorized to convey roads to the state, county, or municipality, acceptance is not automatic. If the receiving entity declines the infrastructure, the District retains long-term maintenance liability, which will impact the operating tax rate.
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The bill author has informed the committee of the need for a municipal utility district to be created in Fort Bend County for the benefit of certain undeveloped land. C.S.H.B. 5661 seeks to provide for the creation of the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 286.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 5661 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to create the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 286, subject to applicable municipal consent, a certain development agreement, and voter approval at a confirmation election. The bill, among other provisions, grants the district the power to undertake certain road projects and provides for the district's division and for a district website with certain public tax information. The bill authorizes the district, subject to certain requirements, to issue obligations and impose a property tax. The bill expressly prohibits the district from exercising the power of eminent domain if the bill does not receive a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each house and establishes that this provision is not intended to be an expression of a legislative interpretation of the requirements of Section 17(c), Article I, Texas Constitution.
C.S.H.B. 5661 establishes that all applicable requirements relating to the following have been fulfilled and accomplished with respect to the bill:
·the legal notice of intention to introduce;
·governor action;
·Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recommendations; and
·the state constitution and laws and legislative rules and procedures.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 5661 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
Whereas the substitute provides for a development agreement between the district, the City of Rosenberg, and the owner or owners of a majority of the assessed value of real property in the district, the introduced provided for a development and operating agreement between those entities and contained a specification, which the substitute omits, that such agreement include any limitations imposed by the city.
Whereas the introduced provided for the appointment of temporary directors by landowner petition, the substitute names the temporary directors.
The introduced and the substitute differ with respect to the district's boundaries.
Honorable Gary Gates, Chair, House Committee on Land & Resource Management
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB5661 by Gates (Relating to the creation of the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 286; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
It is assumed that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.
Local Government Impact
The fiscal implications of the bill to the district cannot be determined due to the circumstances relating to the district's exercise of eminent domain power, issuance of bonds, or imposition of assessments, fees, and taxes being unknown. No fiscal implication to other units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies: b > td >
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HB5661 immediately establishes Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 286, creating a new political subdivision with the power to levy unlimited ad valorem taxes, issue bonds, and exercise eminent domain. Landowners and developers within the defined 177-acre tract must secure a Development Agreement with the City of Rosenberg; without this specific contract, the District is statutorily blocked from holding a confirmation election or issuing bonds.
Q
Who authored HB5661?
HB5661 was authored by Texas Representative Gary Gates during the Regular Session.
Q
When was HB5661 signed into law?
HB5661 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
Q
Which agencies enforce HB5661?
HB5661 is enforced by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), City of Rosenberg (Municipal Consent & Development Agreement) and Texas Transportation Commission (Road project approval if state-maintained).
Q
How urgent is compliance with HB5661?
The compliance urgency for HB5661 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
Q
What is the cost impact of HB5661?
The cost impact of HB5661 is estimated as "high". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
Q
What topics does HB5661 address?
HB5661 addresses topics including fort bend county municipal utility district no. 286, special districts & authorities, special districts & authorities--municipal utility districts and special districts & authorities--water & utility.
Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025
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