BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2230 By: Hunter (Armbrister) Natural Resources 05-04-95 Senate Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Currently, the Calhoun County Navigation District is governed by a six-member board. Four members are elected from single-member districts, and two members are elected at-large. Members representing the single-member districts are elected from Calhoun County commissioners' precincts, but the navigation district's boundaries do not include the entire county. This creates the possibility of having navigation commissioners elected from districts with population disparities. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 2230 creates a board of six navigation commissioners to govern the Calhoun County Navigation District. Establishes procedures for the election of the navigation commissioners. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 2, Chapter 195, Acts of the 53rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1953, as follows: Sec. 2. (a) Requires the Calhoun County Navigation District (district) to be governed by a board of six navigation commissioners (board). Requires each member of the board to be elected from a separate precinct. (b) Requires the board to occasionally divide the district into six navigation commissioner precincts (precincts) that are compact and contiguous and fairly equal in population. (c) Requires the board to complete any division of the district into new precincts by the 90th day before the election of commissioners from those precincts. (d) Requires the qualified voters of each precinct to elect one commissioner who resides in the precinct. (e) Requires six commissioners to be elected at the first election after the district has been divided into new precincts. Sets forth requirements for the terms of the commissioners. Deletes language regarding requirements of the commissioners. (f) Sets forth findings and determination of the legislature regarding the board. Deletes language relating to the vacancies on the board and appointment of commissioners. Redesignates existing Subsection (b). (g) Makes a nonsubstantive change. Redesignates existing Subsection (c). (h) Authorizes any person qualified for election to office for which an election is called to file no later than 5 p.m. of the 45th day, rather than 10 days, before the date of the election to have that person's name placed on the ballot. Redesignates existing Subsection (d). (i) Requires the person receiving the highest number of votes in each precinct, rather than for each place, to be declared elected to the office. (j) Requires an appointed member of the board to be treated as if the member were elected. SECTION 2. (a) Requires the district to be governed by the board serving as of September 1, 1995, until the board elected on May 3, 1997, takes office. (b) Requires the board elected September 1, 1995, to divide the district into six precincts by February 2, 1997. SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 1995. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.