1-1  By:  Van de Putte (Senate Sponsor - Wentworth)         H.B. No. 344
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House May 1, 1995;
    1-3  May 2, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
    1-4  Resources; May 10, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote:
    1-5  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 10, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-6                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-7                                AN ACT
    1-8  relating to the issuance of a commission to certain branch pilots.
    1-9        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-10        SECTION 1.  Article 8253, Revised Statutes, is amended to
   1-11  read as follows:
   1-12        Art. 8253.  Branch pilot license.  All branch pilots
   1-13  appointed under and in accordance with this law or the rules and
   1-14  regulations of such navigation district shall enter into bond with
   1-15  one or more good and sufficient sureties in the sum of five
   1-16  thousand dollars, payable to the Governor, conditioned upon the
   1-17  faithful performance on any employee which together with any other
   1-18  insurance under commissioners of such district, and shall be
   1-19  deposited in the office of the Secretary of State.  Each pilot
   1-20  shall also take the official oath, which shall be endorsed on said
   1-21  bond.  Upon the filing of said bond, and the taking of said oath,
   1-22  the commissioners of such district shall certify to the Governor
   1-23  that each branch pilot has duly qualified to act as such, and
   1-24  thereupon the Governor shall issue to said branch pilot, in the
   1-25  name of the state and under the state seal, a commission to serve
   1-26  as branch pilot from such ports, across any intermediate bars, to
   1-27  the open gulf; and said commission shall be for a term of four
   1-28  years, unless such branch pilot shall be dismissed from service by
   1-29  said navigation and canal commissioners, in which event such
   1-30  commission shall expire.
   1-31        SECTION 2.  Section 4.06, Houston Pilots Licensing and
   1-32  Regulatory Act (Article 8280a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is
   1-33  amended to read as follows:
   1-34        Sec. 4.06.  Issuance of license.  On filing of the bond and
   1-35  oath provided by Section 4.09 of this Act, the board shall certify
   1-36  to the governor that the branch pilot has duly qualified to act as
   1-37  a branch pilot, and on receiving this certification, the governor
   1-38  shall issue to the branch pilot, in the name of the state and under
   1-39  the state seal, a commission to serve as a branch pilot from the
   1-40  ports within the jurisdiction of the board, across intermediate
   1-41  bars, to and from the open gulf.
   1-42        SECTION 3.  Section 4.06(a), Galveston County Pilots
   1-43  Licensing and Regulatory Act (Article 8280b, Vernon's Texas Civil
   1-44  Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
   1-45        (a)  On filing of the bond and oath provided by Section 4.09
   1-46  of this Act, the board shall certify to the governor that the
   1-47  branch pilot has duly qualified to act as a branch pilot, and on
   1-48  receiving this certification, the governor shall issue to the
   1-49  branch pilot, in the name of the state and under the state seal, a
   1-50  commission to serve as a branch pilot from the ports within the
   1-51  jurisdiction of the board, across intermediate bars, to and from
   1-52  the open gulf.
   1-53        SECTION 4.  Section 4.06(a), Brazoria County Pilots Licensing
   1-54  and Regulatory Act (Article 8280c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes),
   1-55  is amended to read as follows:
   1-56        (a)  On filing of the bond and oath provided by Section 4.09
   1-57  of this Act, the board shall certify to the governor that the
   1-58  branch pilot has qualified to act as a branch pilot, and on
   1-59  receiving this certification, the governor shall issue to the
   1-60  branch pilot, in the name of the state and under the state seal, a
   1-61  commission to serve as a branch pilot from the ports within the
   1-62  jurisdiction of the board, across intermediate bars, to and from
   1-63  the open gulf.
   1-64        SECTION 5.  The change in law made by this Act does not
   1-65  affect the validity of a commission issued to a branch pilot before
   1-66  the effective date of this Act or any act performed by the branch
   1-67  pilot under that commission.
   1-68        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-1  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-2  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-3  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-4  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-5  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-6  passage, and it is so enacted.
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