| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the election of emergency services commissioners in |
|
|
certain emergency services districts. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Sections 775.0345(b-1), (d-1), (e), and (h-1), |
|
|
Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the governing body of |
|
|
a district described by Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)] is governed by a |
|
|
five-member board of emergency services commissioners elected from |
|
|
single-member districts. One director is elected from each |
|
|
single-member district. As soon as possible after the district is |
|
|
created, the commissioners court of the county in which the |
|
|
district is located shall divide the district into five numbered |
|
|
single-member districts. |
|
|
(d-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (d), to be eligible to be a |
|
|
candidate for emergency services commissioner in a single-member |
|
|
district on an initial board in a district described by Subsection |
|
|
(a)(2) [or (3)], a person must be at least 18 years of age and a |
|
|
resident of that single-member district. |
|
|
(e) A candidate for emergency services commissioner on an |
|
|
initial board must give the voter registrar of the county a sworn |
|
|
notice of the candidate's intention to run for office. The notice |
|
|
must state the person's name, age, and address and state that the |
|
|
person is serving notice of intent to run for emergency services |
|
|
commissioner. If the person intends to run for emergency services |
|
|
commissioner in a single-member district in a district described by |
|
|
Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)], the notice must also specify the |
|
|
single-member district the person seeks to represent. On receipt |
|
|
of the notice, the voter registrar of the county shall have the |
|
|
candidate's name placed on the ballot. |
|
|
(h-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (h), the five initial |
|
|
emergency services commissioners elected from single-member |
|
|
districts in a district described by Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)] |
|
|
shall draw lots to determine which two commissioners serve terms |
|
|
that expire on December 31 of the second year following the year in |
|
|
which the election was held and which three commissioners serve |
|
|
terms that expire on December 31 of the fourth year following the |
|
|
year in which the election was held. |
|
|
SECTION 2. (a) 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, Health |
|
|
and Safety Code. |
|
|
(b) 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) 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 shall 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. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |