ANNEXATION HEARING REQUIREMENTS

(a) Before a municipality may institute annexation proceedings, the governing body of the municipality must conduct two public hearings at which persons interested in the annexation are given the opportunity to be heard. The hearings must be conducted on or after the 40th day but before the 20th day before the date of the institution of the proceedings. (b) At least one of the hearings must be held in the area proposed for annexation if a suitable site is reasonably available and more than 10 percent of the adults who are permanent residents of the area file a written protest of the annexation with the secretary of the municipality within 10 days after the date of the publication of the notice required by this section. The protest must state the name, address, and age of each protester who signs. (c) The municipality must: (1) post notice of the hearings on the municipality's Internet website if the municipality has an Internet website; and (2) publish notice of the hearings in a newspaper of general circulation: (A) in the municipality; (B) in the area proposed for annexation; and (C) if the municipality is a home-rule municipality, in any area that would be newly included in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction by the expansion of the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction resulting from the proposed annexation. (d) The notice for each hearing must be published at least once on or after the 20th day but before the 10th day before the date of the hearing. The notice for each hearing must be posted on the municipality's Internet website on or after the 20th day but before the 10th day before the date of the hearing and must remain posted until the date of the hearing. (e) This subsection applies only to a home-rule municipality. If applicable, the notice for each hearing must include: (1) a statement that the completed annexation of the area will expand the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction; (2) a description of the area that would be newly included in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction; (3) a statement of the purpose of extraterritorial jurisdiction designation as provided by Section 42.001; and (4) a brief description of each municipal ordinance that would be applicable, as authorized by Section 212.003, in the area that would be newly included in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction. (f) In addition to the notice required by Subsection (c), the municipality must give notice by certified mail to each railroad company that serves the municipality and is on the municipality's tax roll if the company's right-of-way is in the area proposed for annexation.