By Chisum                                        H.B. No. 292

      75R1203 CLG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to election of the board of directors of the Hutchinson

 1-3     County Hospital District.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 77, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular

 1-6     Session, 1989, is amended by adding Section 4.055 to read as

 1-7     follows:

 1-8           Sec. 4.055.  WRITE-IN VOTING IN ELECTION.  (a)  In a general

 1-9     or special election of directors, a write-in vote may not be

1-10     counted unless the name written in appears on the list of write-in

1-11     candidates.

1-12           (b)  To be entitled to a place on the list of write-in

1-13     candidates, a candidate must make a declaration of write-in

1-14     candidacy.

1-15           (c)  A declaration of write-in candidacy must be filed with

1-16     the secretary of the board of directors not later than 5 p.m. of

1-17     the 45th day before election day.  However, if a candidate whose

1-18     name is to appear on the ballot dies or is declared ineligible

1-19     after the 48th day before election day, a declaration of write-in

1-20     candidacy for the office sought by the deceased or ineligible

1-21     candidate may be filed not later than 5 p.m. of the 42nd day before

1-22     election day.

1-23           (d)  Subchapter B, Chapter 146, Election Code, applies to

1-24     write-in voting in an election of directors except to the extent of

 2-1     a conflict with this section.

 2-2           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.