By Alvarado H.B. No. 2062
74R7558 DRH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the conversion to an elected board of certain mass
1-3 transit authorities.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 141, Acts of the 63rd Legislature,
1-6 Regular Session, 1973 (Article 1118x, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-7 Statutes), is amended by adding Section 6J to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 6J. CONVERSION TO ELECTED BOARD. (a) This section
1-9 applies only to an authority created before January 1, 1980, with a
1-10 principal city having a population of less than 1.2 million.
1-11 (b) The board shall divide the authority into a number of
1-12 districts equal to the number of members of the board. The
1-13 districts must be compact and must be as nearly as practicable
1-14 contiguous and of equal population according to the most recent
1-15 federal census. The board shall number each district. The board
1-16 shall draw the districts not later than January 1, 1996.
1-17 (c) The board shall order an election for board members to
1-18 be held on a uniform election date prescribed by the Election Code
1-19 that occurs not later than 15 months after the date the districts
1-20 are drawn and that allows sufficient time to comply with other
1-21 requirements of law.
1-22 (d) Voters of each authority district are entitled to elect
1-23 one member to the board. A candidate for the board must be a
1-24 resident of the district the candidate seeks to represent. A
2-1 member of the board must be a resident of the district the member
2-2 represents and vacates the office if the member ceases to reside in
2-3 the district the member represents.
2-4 (e) The terms of all appointed members expire on the first
2-5 day of the month following the month the votes for board members
2-6 are canvassed. Except as provided by Subsection (f) of this
2-7 section, elected members serve two-year terms that begin on the
2-8 first day of the month following the month the votes for board
2-9 members are canvassed.
2-10 (f) After the initial election of board members or the first
2-11 election following a redistricting of an authority of a board whose
2-12 members serve staggered terms, one-half of the members of the
2-13 board, rounded up to the nearest whole number, serve two-year
2-14 terms, and the remaining members serve one-year terms. The members
2-15 shall draw lots to determine the length of their terms.
2-16 (g) Subsequent elections for board members shall be held on
2-17 the uniform election date preceding the expiration of the members'
2-18 terms.
2-19 (h) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment
2-20 made by the remaining board members. The appointed person serves
2-21 for the unexpired term.
2-22 (i) The provisions of this Act concerning the number of
2-23 board members remain in effect. If the board expands or decreases
2-24 in size, the board shall draw new authority districts in accordance
2-25 with Subsection (b) of this section to reflect the new size of the
2-26 board not later than the 60th day before the date of the first
2-27 election of board members following the change in the size of the
3-1 board.
3-2 (j) The board shall redraw authority districts in accordance
3-3 with Subsection (b) of this section not later than the 120th day
3-4 after the date of the release of each federal decennial census.
3-5 The new districts take effect at the first authority district
3-6 election that occurs on or after the 180th day after the date of
3-7 the release of the federal decennial census.
3-8 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
3-9 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-10 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-11 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-12 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-13 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.