1-1 By: West (Senate Sponsor - Duncan) H.B. No. 404
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 14, 1997;
1-3 April 16, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on
1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 1, 1997, reported favorably by the
1-5 following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 1, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the abolition of the office of inspector of hides and
1-9 animals of Ector County.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. (a) Section 146.052(a), Agriculture Code, is
1-12 amended to read as follows:
1-13 (a) This subchapter applies only in the following counties:
1-14 Andrews, Baylor, Blanco, Briscoe, Castro, Coleman, Concho, Crane,
1-15 Dawson, Duval, [Ector,] Edwards, Gaines, Glasscock, Hardin,
1-16 Haskell, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Kerr, Kimble, LaSalle, Lee, Liberty,
1-17 McCulloch, McMullen, Martin, Menard, Mitchell, Ochiltree, Presidio,
1-18 Real, Roberts, Runnels, San Jacinto, San Saba, Sherman, Sutton,
1-19 Walker, Waller, Wood, and Yoakum.
1-20 (b) On the effective date of this section, the office of
1-21 inspector of hides and animals of Ector County is abolished. All
1-22 records in the possession of that office are transferred to the
1-23 county clerk and any funds in the possession of that office are
1-24 transferred to the county treasury.
1-25 SECTION 2. (a) The commissioners court of Ector County
1-26 shall hold an election in the county on November 3, 1998. Ballots
1-27 at the election shall be printed to permit voting for or against
1-28 the proposition: "The abolition of the office of inspector of
1-29 hides and animals of Ector County."
1-30 (b) Promptly after the official canvass of the election
1-31 returns is announced, the county officer responsible for conducting
1-32 elections in the county shall send to the secretary of state, for
1-33 publication in the Texas Register, a notice describing the outcome
1-34 of the election.
1-35 SECTION 3. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
1-36 section, this Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
1-37 (b) Section 1 of this Act takes effect January 1, 1999, but
1-38 only if at the election held under Section 2 of this Act a majority
1-39 of the votes cast favor the abolition of the office of inspector of
1-40 hides and animals of Ector County. If less than a majority of the
1-41 votes cast favor the abolition of the office, Section 1 of this Act
1-42 has no effect.
1-43 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-44 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-45 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-46 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-47 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-48 * * * * *