By Madden                                              H.B. No. 944
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the cancellation of certain city council elections.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Chapter 143, Election Code is amended by adding
    1-5  Section 143.009 to read as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 143.009.  CANCELLATION OF CITY COUNCIL ELECTION.  (a)
    1-7  The City Council may cancel a city election if:
    1-8              (1)  the sole purpose of the election is to elect
    1-9  members of the city's governing body;
   1-10              (2)  no seat is contested; and
   1-11              (3)  the deadline for filing an application to be a
   1-12  write-in candidate has passed.
   1-13        (b)  If the election is cancelled as provided in subsection
   1-14  (a) the City Council shall declare the unopposed candidate(s) the
   1-15  winner(s) by ordinance.
   1-16        (c)  The ordinance declaring the unopposed candidate(s) the
   1-17  winner(s) shall be posted in all polling places on election day.
   1-18        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.