1-1 By: Turner of Harris (Senate Sponsor - Whitmire) H.B. No. 663
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 1993;
1-3 May 13, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 25, 1993, reported favorably by
1-5 the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 25, 1993, sent to
1-6 printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-8 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-9 Armbrister x
1-10 Leedom x
1-11 Carriker x
1-12 Henderson x
1-13 Madla x
1-14 Moncrief x
1-15 Patterson x
1-16 Rosson x
1-17 Shapiro x
1-18 Wentworth x
1-19 Whitmire x
1-20 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-21 AN ACT
1-22 relating to the filling of vacancies on the governing bodies of
1-23 certain municipalities.
1-24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-25 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 26, Local Government Code,
1-26 is amended by adding Section 26.045 to read as follows:
1-27 Sec. 26.045. FILLING VACANCY ON GOVERNING BODY OF
1-28 MUNICIPALITY WITH POPULATION OF 1.5 MILLION OR MORE. If a vacancy
1-29 occurs on the governing body of a municipality with a population of
1-30 1.5 million or more and more than 270 days remain before the date
1-31 of the next general election of members of the governing body, the
1-32 governing body shall order a special election in the district in
1-33 which the vacancy occurred, or in the entire municipality if the
1-34 vacancy occurred in an at-large position, to fill the vacancy. The
1-35 special election shall be held on an authorized uniform election
1-36 date prescribed by the Election Code that occurs before the general
1-37 election and that allows enough time to hold the election in the
1-38 manner required by law and shall be conducted in the same manner as
1-39 the municipality's general election except as provided by
1-40 provisions of the Election Code applicable to special elections to
1-41 fill vacancies.
1-42 SECTION 2. Section 26.044(j), Local Government Code, is
1-43 repealed.
1-44 SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
1-45 a vacancy occurring on or after the effective date of this Act. A
1-46 vacancy occurring before the effective date of this Act is covered
1-47 by the law in effect when the vacancy occurred, and the former law
1-48 is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-49 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-50 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-51 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-52 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-53 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-54 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-55 passage, and it is so enacted.
1-56 * * * * *
1-57 Austin,
1-58 Texas
1-59 May 25, 1993
1-60 Hon. Bob Bullock
1-61 President of the Senate
1-62 Sir:
1-63 We, your Committee on Intergovernmental Relations to which was
1-64 referred H.B. No. 663, have had the same under consideration, and I
1-65 am instructed to report it back to the Senate with the
1-66 recommendation that it do pass and be printed.
1-67 Armbrister,
1-68 Chairman
2-1 * * * * *
2-2 WITNESSES
2-3 FOR AGAINST ON
2-4 ___________________________________________________________________
2-5 Name: Sabrina Foster x
2-6 Representing: Mayor & City Council Houston
2-7 City: Houston
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