By Krusee H.B. No. 883
75R4273 DRH-D
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 451.502, Transportation Code, is amended
1-6 by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (f) and (g) to
1-7 read as follows:
1-8 (a) The five board members under Section 451.501(a)(1) are
1-9 appointed by the governing body of the principal municipality,
1-10 except:
1-11 (1) in an authority having a principal municipality
1-12 with a population of more than 1.2 million, the five board members
1-13 are appointed by the mayor of the principal municipality and are
1-14 subject to confirmation by the governing body of the principal
1-15 municipality; and
1-16 (2) in an authority confirmed before July 1, 1985, and
1-17 in which the principal municipality has a population of less than
1-18 750,000, four board members are appointed by the governing body of
1-19 the principal municipality, and one member is appointed by the
1-20 members of the commissioners court of the principal county.
1-21 (f) In an authority confirmed before July 1, 1985, and in
1-22 which the principal municipality has a population of less than
1-23 750,000, the additional members are appointed as follows:
1-24 (1) for an authority having two additional members:
2-1 (A) one member appointed by a panel composed of:
2-2 (i) the mayors of all the municipalities
2-3 in the authority located outside the principal county of the
2-4 authority, excluding the mayor of the principal municipality; and
2-5 (ii) the county judges of the counties
2-6 having unincorporated area in the authority, excluding the county
2-7 judge of the principal county; and
2-8 (B) one member appointed by a panel composed of
2-9 the mayors of all the municipalities in the authority located in
2-10 the principal county of the authority, excluding the mayor of the
2-11 principal municipality;
2-12 (2) for an authority having four additional members:
2-13 (A) two members appointed by a panel composed
2-14 of:
2-15 (i) the mayors of all the municipalities
2-16 in the authority located outside the principal county of the
2-17 authority, excluding the mayor of the principal municipality; and
2-18 (ii) the county judges of the counties
2-19 having unincorporated area in the authority, excluding the county
2-20 judge of the principal county;
2-21 (B) one member appointed by a panel composed of
2-22 the mayors of all the municipalities in the authority located in
2-23 the principal county of the authority, excluding the mayor of the
2-24 principal municipality; and
2-25 (C) one member appointed by the members of the
2-26 commissioners court of the principal county; or
2-27 (3) for an authority having six additional members:
3-1 (A) two members appointed by a panel composed
3-2 of:
3-3 (i) the mayors of all the municipalities
3-4 in the authority located outside the principal county of the
3-5 authority, excluding the mayor of the principal municipality; and
3-6 (ii) the county judges of the counties
3-7 having unincorporated area in the authority, excluding the county
3-8 judge of the principal county;
3-9 (B) two members appointed by a panel composed of
3-10 the mayors of all the municipalities in the authority located
3-11 within the principal county of the authority, excluding the mayor
3-12 of the principal municipality;
3-13 (C) one member appointed by the members of the
3-14 commissioners court of the principal county; and
3-15 (D) one member, who serves as presiding officer
3-16 of the board, appointed by a majority of the board.
3-17 (g) For purposes of Subsection (f), a municipality is
3-18 located in the county in which a majority of the population of the
3-19 municipality resides.
3-20 SECTION 2. (a) This section applies only to the board of
3-21 directors of a metropolitan transit authority created before 1985
3-22 by a municipality with a population of less than 750,000.
3-23 (b) The terms of all members of the board of the authority
3-24 expire on the effective date of this Act.
3-25 (c) The governmental entities entitled to make appointments
3-26 under Section 451.502, Transportation Code, as amended by this Act,
3-27 shall make the initial appointments as soon as practical after the
4-1 effective date of this Act.
4-2 (d) The board may reduce the length of the term of a person
4-3 initially appointed under Subsection (c) of this section to allow
4-4 for staggered terms.
4-5 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
4-6 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
4-7 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-8 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-9 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-10 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.