EC H.B. 6 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


REDISTRICTING
H.B. 6
By: Jones, Delwin
2-26-97
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND 

At the end of the 74th session, the House approved a redistricting plan to
present to the federal courts as a settlement of the redistricting
lawsuit.  The federal courts approved this plan in August 1995, with the
exception of three counties that were not cited in the redistricting suit.
In effect, the plan approved by the courts defines the current districts
of House members as of the 1996 election cycle.  H.B. 6 maintains the
current districts and adds changes that were approved by the 74th
Legislature.  These changes affect three counties:  Jefferson, Williamson,
and Collin. 

The changes made to the three counties were all agreed upon by the members
affected of the 74th and 75th sessions.  The changes to Collin county were
requested by election officials to facilitate elections by eliminating 0
populated VTD's.  Corrections to Williamson county make a community and
two cities whole instead of divided.  The changes to Jefferson county make
a town whole and contained within one election district. 

PURPOSE

H.B. 6 is the plan approved at the end of the 74th Session, including
changes to three additional counties to the settlement plan approved by
the federal courts. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Article II, Chapter 2, Acts of the 72nd Legislature,
3rd Called Session, 1992 with changes to: Jefferson county, Williamson
county, and Collin county and maintains changes approved by the court and
74th Legislature to Dallas, Bexar, and Harris counties. 

 Sec. 21 and Sec. 22  Provides for the changes in tract and block groups
to Jefferson  county to make the town of Groves whole and contained in
District 21. 

 Sec. 52 and Sec. 53  Provides for the changes in tract and block groups
to Williamson  county to make the community of Anderson Mill and the city
of Round Rock whole and  contained in District 52, and the city of Leander
whole and contained in District 53. 

 Sec. 66 and Sec. 67  Provides for the changes in tract and block groups
to Collin county  to eliminate 0 populated VTD's and provide for election
officials to administer elections  more efficiently. 

 Sec. 99, Sec. 100, Sec. 101, Sec. 102, Sec. 103, Sec. 104, Sec. 105, Sec.
106, Sec. 107,  Sec. 108, Sec. 109, Sec. 110, Sec. 111, and Sec. 114
Provides for the changes to tract and  block groups to Dallas county that
were approved by the 74th Legislature and the federal  courts.  There is
no change in these districts from the 1996 election cycle. 

 Sec. 123, Sec. 124, and Sec. 125  Provides for the changes to tract and
block groups to  Bexar county that were approved by the 74th Legislature
and the federal courts.  There is  no change in these districts from the
1996 election cycle. 

 Sec. 126, Sec. 127, Sec. 128, Sec. 129, Sec. 133, Sec. 134, Sec. 135,
Sec. 136, Sec. 137,  Sec. 138, Sec. 139, Sec. 140, Sec. 141, Sec. 142,
Sec. 143, Sec. 144, Sec. 147, Sec. 148,  and Sec. 150  Provides for the
changes to tract and block groups to Harris county that  were approved by
the 74th Legislature and the federal courts.  There is no change in these
districts from the 1996 election cycle. 
 
SECTION 2.  The effective date of these changes begins with the primary
and general elections in 1998 for the Texas House of Representative
members of the 76th Legislature.  These changes do not affect the current
House members or districts of the 75th Legislature. 

SECTION 3.  Emergency Clause.