SRC-JFA H.B. 3592 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 3592
By: Madden (Shapiro)
Natural Resources
5-16-97
Engrossed


DIGEST 

Currently, Chapter 49, Water Code, requires four-year terms for members of
a utility district's governing board, unless the board is temporary, and
requires the elections of such members to be held on a uniform election
date in January or May of even-numbered years.  The board of directors of
the Seis Lagos Utility District (board), though eligible to retain
two-year terms under its special district status, wants to extend its
board members' terms from two to four years and to stagger them
appropriately, while changing the elections to an even-numbered year
election cycle.  This bill would provide that the board members serve
four-year terms, that the elections for such directors occur in
even-numbered years, and that the terms of such directors are staggered
appropriately.  
  
PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 3592 revises Chapter 527, Acts of the 71st Legislature,
Regular Session, to provide that the Seis Lagos Utility District's Board
of Directors serve four-year, rather than two-year, terms; that the
elections for such directors occur in even-numbered, rather than
odd-numbered, years; and that the terms of the directors are staggered
appropriately.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 5(e), Chapter 527, Acts of the 71st Legislature,
Regular Session, 1989, as follows: 

(e)  Requires the Seis Lagos Utility District (district) to hold an
election in the district on the first Saturday in May of each
even-numbered year to elect the appropriate number of directors to the
board of directors of the district.  Provides that directors serve
staggered fouryear terms, rather than two-year terms with the terms of two
directors expiring each oddnumbered year and the terms of three directors
expiring each even-numbered year.   

SECTION 2. (a)  Provides that terms of the two directors elected at the
May 1995 election expire on the first Saturday in May 1998 as provided by
Section 50(b), Chapter 715, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session,
1995.  

(b)  Provides that terms of the three directors elected in May 1996 expire
on the first Saturday in May 2000 as provided by Section 49.103, Water
Code.  

(c)  Provides that the directors elected at the election held on the first
Saturday in May 1998 and in subsequent even-numbered years serve four-year
terms.   

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.