TX SB2965

Municipalities seeking to annex territory from an emergency services district must now demonstrate they are capable of being the sole provider of emergency services at the time of removal, and must submit a completed service plan if required

Emergency services district boards must evaluate whether municipal services will meet or exceed the district's level of service before approving disannexation; if services are deemed inadequate, the board may refuse to disannex the territory

"Level of service" is defined as the location, deployment, and response time of fire suppression or medical resources originally dispatched to structural fires, wildland fires, or emergency medical incidents

Municipalities may request binding arbitration if they disagree with a district board's determination that their services will not meet the required level of service

District boards have 30 days to respond to municipality notices; failure to provide a resolution approving or disapproving disannexation within this timeframe results in automatic approval

The act takes effect September 1, 2025, and passed the Senate 31-0 and House 124-14