1-1 By: Alvarado, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Madla) H.B. No. 2062
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 10, 1995;
1-3 April 11, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 3, 1995, reported favorably, as
1-5 amended, by the following vote: Yeas 10, Nays 0; May 3, 1995, sent
1-6 to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 By: Wentworth
1-8 Change the effective date in Section 2 on page 3 from "September 1,
1-9 1995" to "September 1, 1996."
1-10 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-11 AN ACT
1-12 relating to the conversion to an elected board of certain mass
1-13 transit authorities.
1-14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-15 SECTION 1. Chapter 141, Acts of the 63rd Legislature,
1-16 Regular Session, 1973 (Article 1118x, Vernon's Texas Civil
1-17 Statutes), is amended by adding Section 6J to read as follows:
1-18 Sec. 6J. CONVERSION TO ELECTED BOARD. (a) This section
1-19 applies only to an authority created before January 1, 1980, with a
1-20 principal city having a population of less than 1.2 million.
1-21 (b) The board shall divide the authority into a number of
1-22 districts equal to the number of members of the board. The
1-23 districts must be compact and must be as nearly as practicable
1-24 contiguous and of equal population according to the most recent
1-25 federal census. To the extent possible, the districts must
1-26 coincide with state representative districts. The board shall
1-27 number each district. The board shall draw the districts not later
1-28 than January 1, 1996.
1-29 (c) The board shall order the initial election for board
1-30 members to be held the first regular election day for officers of
1-31 the principal city that occurs after the date the districts are
1-32 drawn and that allows sufficient time to comply with other
1-33 requirements of law. Subsequent elections for members must be held
1-34 on the same day as the regular election for officers of the
1-35 principal city.
1-36 (d) Voters of each authority district are entitled to elect
1-37 one member to the board. A candidate for the board must be a
1-38 resident of the district the candidate seeks to represent. A
1-39 member of the board must be a resident of the district the member
1-40 represents and vacates the office if the member ceases to reside in
1-41 the district the member represents.
1-42 (e) The terms of all appointed members expire on the first
1-43 day of the month following the month the votes for board members
1-44 are canvassed. Except as provided by Subsection (f) of this
1-45 section, elected members serve two-year terms that begin on the
1-46 first day of the month following the month the votes for board
1-47 members are canvassed. A person may not be elected to serve more
1-48 than three terms on the board, including any terms the member
1-49 serves as chairman.
1-50 (f) After the initial election of board members or the first
1-51 election following a redistricting of an authority of a board whose
1-52 members serve staggered terms, one-half of the members of the
1-53 board, rounded up to the nearest whole number, serve two-year
1-54 terms, and the remaining members serve one-year terms. The members
1-55 shall draw lots to determine the length of their terms.
1-56 (g) Subsequent elections for board members shall be held on
1-57 the uniform election date preceding the expiration of the members'
1-58 terms.
1-59 (h) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment
1-60 made by the remaining board members. The appointed person serves
1-61 for the unexpired term.
1-62 (i) The provisions of this Act concerning the number of
1-63 board members remain in effect. If the board expands or decreases
1-64 in size, the board shall draw new authority districts in accordance
1-65 with Subsection (b) of this section to reflect the new size of the
1-66 board not later than the 60th day before the date of the first
1-67 election of board members following the change in the size of the
1-68 board.
2-1 (j) The board shall redraw authority districts in accordance
2-2 with Subsection (b) of this section not later than the 120th day
2-3 after the date of the release of each federal decennial census.
2-4 The new districts take effect at the first authority district
2-5 election that occurs on or after the 180th day after the date of
2-6 the release of the federal decennial census.
2-7 (k) The board shall designate one member to serve as
2-8 chairman. A person may not serve as chairman for more than two
2-9 terms.
2-10 (l) If only one candidate's name is to be placed on the
2-11 ballot for a position on the board:
2-12 (1) the board shall declare the candidate elected to
2-13 the position;
2-14 (2) the election for that office is not held; and
2-15 (3) a certificate of election shall be issued to the
2-16 candidate in the same manner as provided for a candidate elected at
2-17 the election.
2-18 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
2-19 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-20 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-21 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-22 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-23 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
2-24 * * * * *