75R5676 DRH-D                           

         By Krusee                                              H.B. No. 883

         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 883:

         By Hill                                            C.S.H.B. No. 883

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the composition of the board of directors of certain

 1-3     metropolitan transit authorities.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 451.501, Transportation Code, is amended

 1-6     by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

 1-7           (g)  This section does not apply to the board of an authority

 1-8     described by Section 451.5021(a).

 1-9           SECTION 2.  Section 451.502, Transportation Code, is amended

1-10     by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

1-11           (f)  This section does not apply to the board of an authority

1-12     described by Section 451.5021(a).

1-13           SECTION 3.  Subchapter K, Chapter 451, Transportation Code,

1-14     is amended by adding Section 451.5021 to read as follows:

1-15           Sec. 451.5021.  BOARD COMPOSITION; CERTAIN AUTHORITIES.  (a)

1-16     This section applies only to the board of an authority confirmed

1-17     before July 1, 1985, in which the principal municipality has a

1-18     population of less than 750,000.

1-19           (b)  The board is composed of nine members who are appointed

1-20     as follows:

1-21                 (1)  five members are appointed by the governing body

1-22     of the principal municipality;

1-23                 (2)  one member is appointed by the members of the

1-24     commissioners court of the principal county;

 2-1                 (3)  one member is appointed by a panel composed of:

 2-2                       (A)  the mayors of all municipalities in the

 2-3     authority located outside the principal county of the authority,

 2-4     excluding the mayor of the principal municipality; and

 2-5                       (B)  the county judges of the counties having

 2-6     unincorporated area in the authority, excluding the county judge of

 2-7     the principal county;

 2-8                 (4)  one member is appointed by a panel composed of the

 2-9     mayors of all the municipalities in the authority located in the

2-10     principal county of the authority, excluding the mayor of the

2-11     principal municipality; and

2-12                 (5)  one member is appointed by the metropolitan

2-13     planning organization that serves the area of the authority.

2-14           (c)  A panel appointing a member under this section operates

2-15     in the manner prescribed by Section 451.503.

2-16           (d)  A member appointed under Subsection (b)(5) is nominated

2-17     by the presiding officer of the organization and confirmed by the

2-18     governing body of the organization.

2-19           (e)  In this section, "principal county" has the meaning

2-20     assigned by Section 451.501(f).

2-21           SECTION 4.  (a)  This section applies only to the board of

2-22     directors of a metropolitan transit authority created before July

2-23     1, 1985, by a municipality with a population of less than 750,000.

2-24           (b)  The governmental entities entitled to make additional

2-25     appointments under Section 451.5021, Transportation Code, as added

2-26     by this Act, shall make the initial appointments as soon as

2-27     practical after the effective date of this Act.

 3-1           (c)  The board may reduce the length of the term of a person

 3-2     initially appointed under Subsection (b) of this section to allow

 3-3     for staggered terms.

 3-4           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 3-5           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.