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.