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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the election of emergency services commissioners in |
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certain emergency services districts. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 775.0345(b-1), (d-1), (e), and (h-1), |
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Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the governing body of |
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a district described by Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)] is governed by a |
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five-member board of emergency services commissioners elected from |
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single-member districts. One director is elected from each |
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single-member district. As soon as possible after the district is |
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created, the commissioners court of the county in which the |
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district is located shall divide the district into five numbered |
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single-member districts. |
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(d-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (d), to be eligible to be a |
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candidate for emergency services commissioner in a single-member |
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district on an initial board in a district described by Subsection |
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(a)(2) [or (3)], a person must be at least 18 years of age and a |
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resident of that single-member district. |
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(e) A candidate for emergency services commissioner on an |
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initial board must give the voter registrar of the county a sworn |
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notice of the candidate's intention to run for office. The notice |
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must state the person's name, age, and address and state that the |
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person is serving notice of intent to run for emergency services |
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commissioner. If the person intends to run for emergency services |
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commissioner in a single-member district in a district described by |
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Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)], the notice must also specify the |
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single-member district the person seeks to represent. On receipt |
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of the notice, the voter registrar of the county shall have the |
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candidate's name placed on the ballot. |
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(h-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (h), the five initial |
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emergency services commissioners elected from single-member |
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districts in a district described by Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)] |
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shall draw lots to determine which two commissioners serve terms |
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that expire on December 31 of the second year following the year in |
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which the election was held and which three commissioners serve |
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terms that expire on December 31 of the fourth year following the |
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year in which the election was held. |
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SECTION 2. (a) This Act does not prohibit a person who is |
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serving as an emergency services commissioner on the effective date |
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of this Act from running for election to the board of commissioners |
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after the effective date of this Act if the person has the |
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qualifications required for a member under Section 775.0345, Health |
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and Safety Code. |
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(b) The terms of the emergency services commissioners |
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serving on the effective date of this Act expire on the date a |
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majority of the new emergency services commissioners elected under |
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Subsection (c) of this section qualify to serve. |
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(c) The county judge of a county with an emergency services |
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district to which Section 775.0345(a)(3), Health and Safety Code, |
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applies on the effective date of this Act shall establish an |
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election to elect new emergency services commissioners of that |
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district in the manner provided by Section 775.0345, Health and |
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Safety Code, as amended by this Act, for election of the initial |
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commissioners as if the district had been created on the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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