By:  Barrientos                                        S.B. No. 850
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the ordering of runoff election to permit joint
    1-2  elections and avoid runoff elections on federal or state holidays.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Chapter 2, Election Code is amended by adding a
    1-5  Subsection (b) and (c) to Section 2.025 as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 2.025.  Runoff Election Day.  (a)  A runoff election
    1-7  shall be held not earlier than the 20th day or later than the 30th
    1-8  day after the date the final canvass of the main election is
    1-9  completed.
   1-10        (b)  The authority responsible for calling the runoff
   1-11  election may adjust the date of the runoff election for a term not
   1-12  to exceed the 45th day after the date the final canvass of the main
   1-13  election is completed to permit a joint runoff election with
   1-14  another political entity conducted in accordance with Chapter 271
   1-15  of this Code.
   1-16        (c)  Runoff elections will not be conducted on a holiday or
   1-17  the weekend nearest thereto and the authority responsible for
   1-18  calling the runoff election will adjust the date of the election to
   1-19  an earlier or later date that permits proper notice of the election
   1-20  and does not exceed the 45th day after the final canvass.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-22  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-23  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-1  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-2  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-3  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-4  passage, and it is so enacted.