By:  Wilson                                           H.B. No. 1701
       73R5612 SMH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the number of members of the public utility commission.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 5, Public Utility Regulatory Act (Article
    1-5  1446c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
    1-6  follows:
    1-7        Sec. 5.  A commission, to be known as the "Public Utility
    1-8  Commission of Texas" is hereby created.  It shall consist of six
    1-9  <three> commissioners, who shall be appointed to staggered,
   1-10  six-year terms by the governor, with the advice and consent of
   1-11  two-thirds of the members of the senate present, and who shall have
   1-12  and exercise the jurisdiction and powers herein conferred upon the
   1-13  commission.   Each commissioner shall hold office until his
   1-14  successor is appointed and qualified.  At its first meeting
   1-15  following the biennial appointment and qualification of a
   1-16  commissioner, the commission shall elect one of the commissioners
   1-17  chairman.  The chairman may vote only to break a tie
   1-18  vote.  Appointments to the commission shall be made without regard
   1-19  to the race, creed, sex, religion, or national origin of the
   1-20  appointees.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  (a)  As soon as possible after the effective date
   1-22  of this Act, the governor shall appoint three new members to the
   1-23  Public Utility Commission of Texas as prescribed by this Act.  The
   1-24  governor shall designate one member to serve a term expiring
    2-1  September 1, 1995, one member to serve a term expiring September 1,
    2-2  1997, and one member to serve a term expiring September 1, 1999.
    2-3        (b)  Until all members appointed under Subsection (a) of this
    2-4  section have taken office, a quorum of the Public Utility
    2-5  Commission of Texas is a majority of the number of members who are
    2-6  qualified.
    2-7        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    2-8        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-9  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-10  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-11  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-12  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.