1-1 By: Krusee (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos) H.B. No. 883 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 18, 1997; 1-3 April 22, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Intergovernmental Relations; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by 1-5 the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to 1-6 printer.) 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to the composition of the board of directors of certain 1-10 metropolitan transit authorities. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Section 451.501, Transportation Code, is amended 1-13 by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: 1-14 (g) This section does not apply to the board of an authority 1-15 described by Section 451.5021(a). 1-16 SECTION 2. Section 451.502, Transportation Code, is amended 1-17 by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: 1-18 (f) This section does not apply to the board of an authority 1-19 described by Section 451.5021(a). 1-20 SECTION 3. Subchapter K, Chapter 451, Transportation Code, 1-21 is amended by adding Section 451.5021 to read as follows: 1-22 Sec. 451.5021. BOARD COMPOSITION; CERTAIN AUTHORITIES. (a) 1-23 This section applies only to the board of an authority confirmed 1-24 before July 1, 1985, in which the principal municipality has a 1-25 population of less than 750,000. 1-26 (b) The board is composed of nine members who are appointed 1-27 as follows: 1-28 (1) five members are appointed by the governing body 1-29 of the principal municipality; 1-30 (2) one member is appointed by the members of the 1-31 commissioners court of the principal county; 1-32 (3) one member is appointed by a panel composed of: 1-33 (A) the mayors of all municipalities in the 1-34 authority located outside the principal county of the authority, 1-35 excluding the mayor of the principal municipality; and 1-36 (B) the county judges of the counties having 1-37 unincorporated area in the authority, excluding the county judge of 1-38 the principal county; 1-39 (4) one member is appointed by a panel composed of the 1-40 mayors of all the municipalities in the authority located in the 1-41 principal county of the authority, excluding the mayor of the 1-42 principal municipality; and 1-43 (5) one member is appointed by the metropolitan 1-44 planning organization that serves the area of the authority. 1-45 (c) A panel appointing a member under this section operates 1-46 in the manner prescribed by Section 451.503. 1-47 (d) A member appointed under Subsection (b)(5) is nominated 1-48 by the presiding officer of the organization and confirmed by the 1-49 governing body of the organization. 1-50 (e) In this section, "principal county" has the meaning 1-51 assigned by Section 451.501(f). 1-52 SECTION 4. (a) This section applies only to the board of 1-53 directors of a metropolitan transit authority created before July 1-54 1, 1985, by a municipality with a population of less than 750,000. 1-55 (b) The governmental entities entitled to make additional 1-56 appointments under Section 451.5021, Transportation Code, as added 1-57 by this Act, shall make the initial appointments as soon as 1-58 practical after the effective date of this Act. 1-59 (c) The board may reduce the length of the term of a person 1-60 initially appointed under Subsection (b) of this section to allow 1-61 for staggered terms. 1-62 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-63 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the 1-64 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-4 * * * * *