BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 5025
88R13110 ANG-F	By: Zwiener; Isaac (Campbell)
	Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs
	5/18/2023
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Texas Legislature created a groundwater conservation district to protect water wells and groundwater in western Hays County. Current Texas law requires that new district board directors be elected from each district when redistricting occurs. H.B. 5025 seeks to allow a current director of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District to serve the remainder of their elected or appointed term, even if the district's boundary changes exclude their place of residence.

H.B. 5025 amends current law relating to the boundaries of the single-member districts for and vacancies on the board of directors of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.

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 Section 8843.056(c), Special District Local Laws Code, as follows:

(c) Provides that when the boundaries of the single-member districts are changed, a director in office on the effective date of the change, or elected or appointed before the effective date of the change to a term of office beginning on or after the effective date of the change, is entitled to serve the term or the remainder of the term in the single-member district to which the director was elected or appointed even though the change in boundaries places the director's residence outside the single-member district for which the director was elected or appointed.

Deletes existing text requiring a new director to be elected from each district at the first election after the single-member districts are revised. Deletes existing text requiring the directors to draw lots to determine which two directors serve one-year terms and which three directors serve two-year terms.

SECTION 2.  Repealer: Section 8843.055 (Board Vacancy), Special District Local Laws Code.

SECTION 3.  Provides that the selection of terms of the board of directors that occurred before the effective date of this Act and in accordance with Section 8843.056(c), Special District Local Laws Code, is validated and confirmed.

SECTION 4.  Provides that the change in law made by this Act applies only to a change in the boundaries of the single-member districts from which the members of the board of directors of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District are elected that is made on or after the effective date of this Act. Provides that a change in the boundaries of the single-member districts that is made before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 5.  Provides that all requirements of the constitution and the laws of this state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled and accomplished.

SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2023.