By Bosse                                               H.B. No. 564
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to write-in candidacy in certain water district elections.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 50, Water Code, is amended
    1-5  by adding Section 50.004 to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 50.004.  WRITE-IN VOTING IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS.  (a)  In
    1-7  a general election for board members under Chapter 51, 52, 53, or
    1-8  54 of this code, a write-in vote may not be counted unless the name
    1-9  written in appears on the list of write-in candidates.
   1-10        (b)  To be entitled to a place on the list of write-in
   1-11  candidates, a candidate must make a declaration of write-in
   1-12  candidacy.
   1-13        (c)  A declaration of write-in candidacy must be filed with
   1-14  the authority with whom an application for a place on the ballot is
   1-15  required to be filed in the election.
   1-16        (d)  A declaration of write-in candidacy must be filed not
   1-17  later than 5 p.m. of the 5th day before election day.
   1-18        (e)  Subchapter B, Chapter 146, Election Code, applies to
   1-19  write-in voting in a general election for board members except to
   1-20  the extent of a conflict with this section.
   1-21        (f)  The secretary of state shall adopt the rules necessary
   1-22  to implement this section.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   1-24        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency   and   an   imperative   public   necessity   that   the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.