By Bailey H.B. No. 2454 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2454: By Kamel C.S.H.B. No. 2454 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the election of certain boards of emergency services 1-3 commissioners. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 775, Health and Safety 1-6 Code, is amended by adding Section 775.0345 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 775.0345. ELECTION OF BOARD IN DISTRICT LOCATED WHOLLY 1-8 IN CERTAIN COUNTIES WITH POPULATION OF 2,800,000 OR MORE. (a) The 1-9 governing body of a district that is located wholly in a county 1-10 that has a population of 2,800,000 or more and that includes at 1-11 least part of four or more rural fire prevention districts consists 1-12 of a five-person board of emergency services commissioners elected 1-13 at large as provided by this section. The emergency services 1-14 commissioners serve two-year terms. 1-15 (b) After a district located wholly in a county that has a 1-16 population of 2,800,000 or more and that includes at least part of 1-17 four or more rural fire prevention districts is created, an 1-18 election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday 1-19 in November of an odd-numbered year to elect the initial emergency 1-20 services commissioners. A candidate in the initial election must 1-21 file with the county clerk not later than the 45th day before 1-22 election day an application for a place on the ballot. The county 1-23 shall conduct the initial election for the district. The district 1-24 shall reimburse the county for the expenses of the election after 2-1 the initial board takes office. 2-2 (c) The initial emergency services commissioners' terms of 2-3 office begin on January 1 of the year following the election. 2-4 (d) The general election for commissioners shall be held on 2-5 the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of 2-6 odd-numbered years. An application for a place on the ballot must 2-7 be filed with the secretary of the board not later than the 45th 2-8 day before election day. 2-9 (e) A vacancy in the office of commissioner shall be filled 2-10 for the unexpired term by appointment by the remaining 2-11 commissioners. 2-12 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-13 (b) An election shall be held in each emergency services 2-14 district located wholly in a county that has a population of 2-15 2,800,000 or more and that includes at least part of four or more 2-16 rural fire prevention districts on November 4, 1997, to elect the 2-17 emergency services commissioners for the district. The board of 2-18 emergency services commissioners appointed for the district is 2-19 abolished, except that the appointed commissioners shall serve 2-20 until the elected commissioners take office. The initial election 2-21 replacing the appointed board with an elected board shall be 2-22 conducted and the terms of initial commissioners determined in 2-23 accordance with the provisions governing an initial election under 2-24 Section 775.0345, Health and Safety Code, as added by this Act, 2-25 except that the initial election is conducted by the district 2-26 instead of the county. 2-27 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 3-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.