BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2494
87R7596 SMT-D	By: Metcalf (Nichols)
	Local Government
	5/5/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Orange County is currently divided into four individual emergency services districts. Each of these districts has five emergency services commissioners who are elected by single-member districts, resulting in 20 single-member districts within the county. There are concerns about the overall effects on the districts caused by the lack of candidates interested in serving as a commissioner in some of these single-member districts. H.B. 2494 seeks to address this issue by providing for these positions to be elected at-large within certain emergency services districts as described by the bill.

H.B. 2494 amends current law relating to the election of emergency services commissioners in certain emergency services districts.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 775.0345(b-1), (d-1), (e), and (h-1), Health and Safety Code, as follows:

(b-1) Deletes existing text providing that, notwithstanding Subsection (b) (relating to the composition and term limits of a board of emergency services commissioners), the governing body of a district described by Subsection (a)(3) (relating to a district located wholly in a county with a population of less than 200,000 that borders another state and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway), is governed by a five-member board of emergency services commissioners elected from single-member districts.

(d-1), (e), and (h-1) Makes conforming changes to these subsections.

SECTION 2. (a) Provides that this Act does not prohibit a person who is serving as an emergency services commissioner on the effective date of this Act from running for election to the board of commissioners after the effective date of this Act if the person has the qualifications required for a member under Section 775.0345 (Election of Board in Certain Counties), Health and Safety Code.

(b) Provides that the terms of the emergency services commissioners serving on the effective date of this Act expire on the date a majority of the new emergency services commissioners elected under Subsection (c) of this section qualify to serve.

(c) Requires the county judge of a county with an emergency services district to which Section 775.0345(a)(3), Health and Safety Code, applies on the effective date of this Act to establish an election to elect new emergency services commissioners of that district in the manner provided by Section 775.0345, Health and Safety Code, as amended by this Act, for election of the initial commissioners as if the district had been created on the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2021.