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. 2-7 * * * * *