By:  Ellis, Wentworth                                  S.B. No. 892

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the formation of a commission to study issues relating

 1-2     to the consolidation of local governments.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  (a)  The Citizen's Commission on Governmental

 1-5     Consolidation and Other Regional Issues is established.

 1-6           (b)  The commission consists of 13 members appointed as

 1-7     follows:

 1-8                 (1)  a presiding officer appointed by the governor; and

 1-9                 (2)  12 members, with the governor, the lieutenant

1-10     governor, and the speaker of the house each appointing one member

1-11     from each class from the following classes of persons:

1-12                       (A)  state officials;

1-13                       (B)  members of the governing body of a

1-14     municipality;

1-15                       (C)  members of a commissioners court; and

1-16                       (D)  members of the general public.

1-17           (c)  In making appointments to the commission, the appointing

1-18     officers shall attempt to appoint members who come from the

1-19     different geographic regions of the state and who represent

1-20     different groups, including chambers of commerce, educational

1-21     institutions, citizens groups, private industry councils, and civil

1-22     rights groups.

1-23           (d)  Each member of the commission serves at the pleasure of

 2-1     the person who appointed the member.

 2-2           (e)  The commission shall conduct hearings in the different

 2-3     regions of the state on the issues the commission is charged to

 2-4     study.  At least 10 hearings shall be held.  The hearings are open

 2-5     to the public and a written record of the testimony of the hearings

 2-6     shall be maintained.

 2-7           (f)  The commission may adopt rules for the commission's

 2-8     internal procedures.

 2-9           (g)  The commission may request assistance and advice from

2-10     any state department or agency or any county, municipality, or

2-11     other political subdivision.

2-12           (h)  The University of Texas at San Antonio shall reimburse,

2-13     as provided by the General Appropriations Act, the travel expenses

2-14     incurred in conducting the business of the commission by a member

2-15     of the commission who is not a state official, a member of the

2-16     governing body of a municipality, or a member of a commissioners

2-17     court.

2-18           (i)  The commission shall:

2-19                 (1)  study issues relating to the consolidation of

2-20     local governments and determine whether consolidation of local

2-21     governments may be in the best interest of the state;

2-22                 (2)  draft, if determined necessary, legislation to

2-23     authorize consolidation;

2-24                 (3)  study issues relating to local annexation and

2-25     interlocal agreements;

 3-1                 (4)  assess the impact of consolidation, including any

 3-2     proposed legislative changes, on a local government's electoral

 3-3     structure; and

 3-4                 (5)  study issues relating to the fairness of tax and

 3-5     service issues affecting consolidated and nonconsolidated local

 3-6     governments.

 3-7           (j)  The commission shall form subcommittees to study:

 3-8                 (1)  changes to voting districts changed by or created

 3-9     by the consolidation of local governments;

3-10                 (2)  economic and regional impacts of consolidation;

3-11                 (3)  effects of consolidation on municipalities with a

3-12     population of less than 5,000 or on rural counties; and

3-13                 (4)  changes to public education caused by

3-14     consolidation.

3-15           (k)  Not later than December 1, 1998, the commission shall

3-16     issue a report summarizing:

3-17                 (1)  the hearings conducted by the commission;

3-18                 (2)  any studies conducted by the commission;

3-19                 (3)  any proposed legislation; and

3-20                 (4)  any other findings or recommendations of the

3-21     commission.

3-22           (l)  Copies of the commission report shall be promptly

3-23     delivered to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker

3-24     of the house.  On the date the report is delivered to those

3-25     officers, the commission is abolished.

 4-1           (m)  The University of Texas at San Antonio shall provide the

 4-2     staff and support necessary to administer this Act.

 4-3           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 4-4           (b)  The governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker

 4-5     of the house shall appoint members to the Citizen's Commission on

 4-6     Governmental Consolidation and Other Regional Issues, as

 4-7     established by this Act, not later than September 15, 1997.

 4-8           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 4-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

4-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

4-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

4-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.