By: Alvarado H.B. No. 1930 73R6413 JRD-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the ethnic composition of appointed advisory boards and 1-3 governing bodies of political subdivisions. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Local Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Chapter 174 to read as follows: 1-7 CHAPTER 174. ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF APPOINTED ADVISORY 1-8 BOARDS AND GOVERNING BODIES 1-9 Sec. 174.001. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to a 1-10 political subdivision's advisory board or governing body that is 1-11 wholly or partially made up of appointed members of the general 1-12 public. 1-13 Sec. 174.002. COMPOSITION OF APPOINTED ADVISORY BOARD OR 1-14 GOVERNING BODY. The ethnic composition of the appointed public 1-15 membership of an advisory board or governing body of a political 1-16 subdivision or of a department, agency, or other division of a 1-17 political subdivision must fairly reflect the ethnic composition 1-18 of: 1-19 (1) the political subdivision; or 1-20 (2) the population of the geographic area under the 1-21 jurisdiction of the department, agency, or other division of the 1-22 political subdivision, if the jurisdiction of the department, 1-23 agency, or other division of the political subdivision is limited 1-24 to a geographic area that is smaller than the political 2-1 subdivision. 2-2 Sec. 174.003. VALIDITY OF ACTIONS. The validity of an 2-3 action taken by an advisory board or governing body subject to this 2-4 chapter is not affected by the fact that the composition of the 2-5 advisory board or governing body violates this chapter. 2-6 Sec. 174.004. REMEDY. If the composition of an advisory 2-7 board or governing body subject to this chapter violates this 2-8 chapter, it is a ground for removal from the advisory board or 2-9 governing body of the person who most recently qualified for 2-10 membership on the advisory board or governing body who is an 2-11 appointed public member and whose ethnic group is represented by a 2-12 disproportionately large number of appointed public members on the 2-13 advisory board or governing body. 2-14 SECTION 2. (a) As the terms of appointed public members of 2-15 advisory boards and governing bodies subject to Chapter 174, Local 2-16 Government Code, as added by this Act, expire or as vacancies on 2-17 those advisory boards or governing bodies are created, the 2-18 appropriate appointing authority shall make the necessary 2-19 appointments to achieve compliance for those advisory boards or 2-20 governing bodies, as soon as possible, with the provisions of 2-21 Chapter 174. 2-22 (b) A proceeding may not be brought under Section 174.004, 2-23 Local Government Code, as added by this Act, until February 1, 2-24 2000. 2-25 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-3 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-4 passage, and it is so enacted.