75R4622 DRH-D                           

         By West                                                H.B. No. 404

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 404:

         By Chisum                                          C.S.H.B. No. 404

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the abolition of the office of inspector of hides and

 1-3     animals of Ector County.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  (a)  Section 146.052(a), Agriculture Code, is

 1-6     amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  This subchapter applies only in the following counties:

 1-8     Andrews, Baylor, Blanco, Briscoe, Castro, Coleman, Concho, Crane,

 1-9     Dawson, Duval, [Ector,] Edwards, Gaines, Glasscock, Hardin,

1-10     Haskell, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Kerr, Kimble, LaSalle, Lee, Liberty,

1-11     McCulloch, McMullen, Martin, Menard, Mitchell, Ochiltree, Presidio,

1-12     Real, Roberts, Runnels, San Jacinto, San Saba, Sherman, Sutton,

1-13     Walker, Waller, Wood, and Yoakum.

1-14           (b)  On the effective date of this section, the office of

1-15     inspector of hides and animals of Ector County is abolished.  All

1-16     records in the possession of that office are transferred to the

1-17     county clerk and any funds in the possession of that office are

1-18     transferred to the county treasury.

1-19           SECTION 2.  (a)  The commissioners court of Ector County

1-20     shall hold an election in the county on November 3, 1998.  Ballots

1-21     at the election shall be printed to permit voting for or against

1-22     the proposition:  "The abolition of the office of inspector of

1-23     hides and animals of Ector County."

1-24           (b)  Promptly after the official canvass of the election

 2-1     returns is announced, the county officer responsible for conducting

 2-2     elections in the county shall send to the secretary of state, for

 2-3     publication in the Texas Register, a notice describing the outcome

 2-4     of the election.

 2-5           SECTION 3.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this

 2-6     section, this Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-7           (b)  Section 1 of this Act takes effect January 1, 1999, but

 2-8     only if at the election held under Section 2 of this Act a majority

 2-9     of the votes cast favor the abolition of the office of inspector of

2-10     hides and animals of Ector County.   If less than a majority of the

2-11     votes cast favor the abolition of the office, Section 1 of this Act

2-12     has no effect.

2-13           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.