75R13834 DRH-D
By Keel H.B. No. 2231
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2231:
By Hill C.S.H.B. No. 2231
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the election of the board of certain mass transit
1-3 authorities.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter K, Chapter 451, Transportation Code,
1-6 is amended by adding Section 451.5036 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 451.5036. ELECTED BOARD. (a) Notwithstanding Sections
1-8 451.501 and 451.502, the board of an authority in which all members
1-9 of the governing body of the principal municipality are elected at
1-10 large shall be elected as provided by this section.
1-11 (b) The board shall divide the authority into a number of
1-12 districts equal to the number of members on the board. The
1-13 districts must:
1-14 (1) be compact;
1-15 (2) not, to the extent possible, divide a county or
1-16 municipality located in the authority; and
1-17 (3) as nearly as practicable, be contiguous and be of
1-18 equal population, according to the most recent federal census.
1-19 (c) Voters of each authority district are entitled to elect
1-20 one member of the board. To be elected, a candidate must receive a
1-21 majority of the votes cast for all candidates in the district. A
1-22 candidate for the board must be a resident of the district the
1-23 candidate seeks to represent. A member of the board vacates the
1-24 office if the member ceases to reside in the district the member
2-1 represents.
2-2 (d) Members of an elected board under this section serve
2-3 staggered two-year terms that begin on the first day of the month
2-4 following the month the votes for board members are canvassed.
2-5 (e) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment
2-6 made by the remaining board members. The appointed person serves
2-7 for the unexpired term.
2-8 (f) The board shall redraw authority districts in accordance
2-9 with Subsection (b) not later than the 120th day after the date of
2-10 the release of the federal decennial census. The new districts
2-11 take effect at the first authority district election that occurs on
2-12 or after the 180th day after the date of the release of the federal
2-13 decennial census.
2-14 (g) After the first election following a redistricting of an
2-15 authority, one-half of the members of the board, rounded up to the
2-16 next whole number, serve two-year terms, and the remaining members
2-17 serve one-year terms. The members shall draw lots to determine the
2-18 length of their terms.
2-19 (h) Members of a board elected under this section shall
2-20 choose their presiding officers.
2-21 SECTION 2. (a) This section applies only to an authority to
2-22 which Section 451.5036, Transportation Code, as added by this Act,
2-23 applies.
2-24 (b) Not later than January 1, 1998, the board of the
2-25 authority shall divide the authority into the districts as required
2-26 by Section 451.5036(b).
2-27 (c) The first election for the members of the board shall be
3-1 held on the date the general election for officers of the
3-2 municipality with the largest population in the authority occurs in
3-3 1998.
3-4 (d) The terms of appointed members of the board serving on
3-5 the effective date of this Act expire on the first day of the month
3-6 following the date of the canvass for the election under this
3-7 section. After the initial election of members of the board, the
3-8 members shall draw lots to determine the length of their terms as
3-9 required by Section 451.5036(g).
3-10 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-11 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-15 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-16 passage, and it is so enacted.