HB2559 - Relating to the imposition by a municipality of a moratorium on property development in certain circumstances.

      H.B. No. 2559         AN ACT   relating to the imposition by a municipality of a moratorium on   property development in certain circumstances.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Sections 212.134(b), (c), and (f), Local   Government Code, are amended to read as follows:          (b)  A public hearing must provide municipal residents and   affected parties an opportunity to be heard.  The municipality   shall, not later than the 30th day before the date of a hearing:                 (1)   [ must ] publish notice of the time and place of the   [ a ] hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the   municipality ; and                 (2)     send notice of the hearing by certified mail to any   person who has given written notice by certified or registered mail   to the municipal secretary requesting notice of the hearing within   two years preceding the date of adoption of the ordinance or   resolution setting the public hearing [ on the fourth day before the   date of the hearing ].          (c)   The governing body of a municipality shall hold two   public hearings on a moratorium on property development proposed to   be adopted under this subchapter.   The governing body may not hold   the second public hearing before the 30th day after the date of the   first public hearing [ Beginning on the fifth business day after the   date a notice is published under Subsection (b), a temporary   moratorium takes effect.   During the period of the temporary   moratorium, a municipality may stop accepting permits,   authorizations, and approvals necessary for the subdivision of,   site planning of, or construction on real property ].          (f)   Not later than the 12th day [ Within 12 days ] after the   date of the second [ first ] public hearing, the governing body of the   municipality shall begin [ make ] a final determination on the   imposition of a moratorium by giving the ordinance imposing the   moratorium at least two readings that are not less than 28 days   apart .   The ordinance must receive the affirmative vote of at least   three-fourths of all members of the governing body on final reading   in order to take effect. [ Before an ordinance adopting a moratorium   may be imposed, the ordinance must be given at least two readings by   the governing body of the municipality.   The readings must be   separated by at least four days. ] If the governing body   [ municipality ] fails to adopt an ordinance imposing a moratorium   within the period prescribed by this subsection, the municipality   may not adopt the [ an ] ordinance [ imposing a moratorium may not be   adopted, and the temporary moratorium imposed under Subsection (c)   expires ].          SECTION 2.  Section 212.1362, Local Government Code, is   amended to read as follows:          Sec. 212.1362.  EXPIRATION OF MORATORIUM [ ON COMMERCIAL   PROPERTY IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES ]; EXTENSION.  (a)  A moratorium   [ on commercial property ] adopted under this subchapter [ Section   212.1352 ] expires on the 90th day after the date the moratorium is   adopted unless the governing body of the municipality extends the   moratorium by:                (1)  holding a public hearing on the proposed extension   of the moratorium; and                (2)  adopting written findings that:                      (A)  identify the problem requiring the need for   extending the moratorium;                      (B)  describe the reasonable progress made to   alleviate the problem;                      (C)  specify a definite duration for the renewal   period of the moratorium; and                      (D)  include a summary of evidence demonstrating   that the problem will be resolved within the extended duration of   the moratorium.          (b)  A municipality may not adopt a moratorium [ on commercial   property ] under this subchapter:                 (1)   [ Section 212.1352 ] that exceeds an aggregate of   180 days ; or                 (2)   [ .   A municipality may not adopt a moratorium on   commercial property under Section 212.1352 ] before the second   anniversary of the expiration date of a previous moratorium if the   subsequent moratorium addresses the same harm, affects the same   type of [ commercial ] property, or affects the same geographical   area identified by the previous moratorium.          SECTION 3.  The following provisions of the Local Government   Code are repealed:                (1)  Sections 212.134(d) and (e); and                (2)  Section 212.136.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.       ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                   I certify that H.B. No. 2559 was passed by the House on April   29, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 127, Nays 17, 2 present, not   voting.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House                 I certify that H.B. No. 2559 was passed by the Senate on May   19, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 26, Nays 5.     ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate       APPROVED:  _____________________                      Date                           _____________________                    Governor