By Price                                              H.B. No. 3540

         75R5432 JMC-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the election of commissioners of the Port of Beaumont

 1-3     Navigation District of Jefferson County.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Sections 9(a) and (d), Chapter 147, Acts of the

 1-6     51st Legislature, Regular Session, 1949, are amended to read as

 1-7     follows:

 1-8           (a)  Commissioners serve staggered four-year [six-year] terms

 1-9     with the terms of three [two] commissioners expiring every two

1-10     years.

1-11           (d)  One commissioner shall be elected from each of the four

1-12     wards established under Section 10 of this Act by the qualified

1-13     voters of that ward.  Two commissioners shall be elected at large

1-14     by the qualified voters of the  district [Commissioners are elected

1-15     by the voters of the District at large, and each ward is entitled

1-16     to representation on the Board of Port Commissioners by a resident

1-17     of the ward].

1-18           SECTION 2.  On the first Saturday in May 1999, an election

1-19     shall be held to elect all six commissioners of the Port of

1-20     Beaumont Navigation District of Jefferson County, one commissioner

1-21     elected at large and two commissioners each elected from a ward to

1-22     serve for two years and one commissioner elected at large and two

1-23     commissioners each elected from a ward to serve for four years.

1-24     The persons elected shall draw lots to determine the length of

 2-1     their terms.  Commissioners elected in subsequent elections serve

 2-2     four-year terms.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-4     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-8     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-9     passage, and it is so enacted.