1-1  By:  Danburg (Senate Sponsor - Carriker)               H.B. No. 638
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House April 5, 1993;
    1-3  April 5, 1993, read first time and referred to Subcommittee on
    1-4  Elections and Ethics; April 26, 1993, reported favorably by the
    1-5  following vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 26, 1993, sent to printer.)
    1-6                            COMMITTEE VOTE
    1-7                          Yea     Nay      PNV      Absent 
    1-8        Carriker           x                               
    1-9        Harris of Dallas                              x    
   1-10        Ellis              x                               
   1-11        Henderson                                     x    
   1-12        Luna               x                               
   1-13        Parker                                        x    
   1-14        Wentworth          x                               
   1-15                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
   1-16                                AN ACT
   1-17  relating to combining certain county election precincts.
   1-18        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-19        SECTION 1.   Subchapter A, Chapter 42, Election Code, is
   1-20  amended by adding Section 42.0051 to read as follows:
   1-21        Sec. 42.0051.  COMBINING CERTAIN PRECINCTS.  (a)  If changes
   1-22  in county election precinct boundaries to give effect to a
   1-23  redistricting plan result in county election precincts with a
   1-24  number of registered voters less than 500, a commissioners court
   1-25  for a general or special election, or for a primary election the
   1-26  county executive committee of a political party conducting a
   1-27  primary election, may combine county election precincts
   1-28  notwithstanding Section 42.005 to avoid unreasonable expenditures
   1-29  for election equipment, supplies, and personnel.
   1-30        (b)  A combined precinct under this section is subject to the
   1-31  maximum population prescribed for a precinct under Section 42.006.
   1-32        (c)  A combined precinct may not be established if it:
   1-33              (1)  results in a dilution of voting strength of a
   1-34  group covered by the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Section
   1-35  1973c et seq.);
   1-36              (2)  results in a dilution of representation of a group
   1-37  covered by the Voting Rights Act in any political or electoral
   1-38  process or procedure; or
   1-39              (3)  results in discouraging participation by a group
   1-40  covered by the Voting Rights Act in any political or electoral
   1-41  process or procedure because of the location of a polling place or
   1-42  other factors.
   1-43        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-44  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-45  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-46  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-47  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-48  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-49  passage, and it is so enacted.
   1-50                               * * * * *
   1-51                                                         Austin,
   1-52  Texas
   1-53                                                         April 26, 1993
   1-54  Hon. Bob Bullock
   1-55  President of the Senate
   1-56  Sir:
   1-57  We, your Subcommittee on Elections and Ethics to which was referred
   1-58  H.B. No. 638, have had the same under consideration, and I am
   1-59  instructed to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation
   1-60  that it do pass and be printed.
   1-61                                                         Carriker,
   1-62  Chairman
   1-63                               * * * * *
   1-64                               WITNESSES
   1-65  No witnesses appeared on H.B. No. 638.