AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the ability of voters in certain counties to petition a

 1-2     commissioners court to increase the salary of members of the county

 1-3     sheriff's department.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subsections (a), (d), (e), and (f), Section

 1-6     152.072, Local Government Code, are amended to read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  The qualified voters of a county with a population of

 1-8     more than 25,000 [30,000] may petition the commissioners court of

 1-9     the county to increase the minimum salary of each member of the

1-10     sheriff's department.

1-11           (d)  If the commissioners court chooses to call an election,

1-12     the only issue that may be submitted regarding the salaries of

1-13     members of the sheriff's department is whether the proposed minimum

1-14     salary should be adopted.  The election shall be held on the first

1-15     authorized uniform election date under Chapter 41, Election Code:

1-16                 (1)  [,] that occurs after the 65th day after the date

1-17     the petition was filed; and

1-18                 (2)  on which an election is scheduled to be held

1-19     throughout the county for other purposes.

1-20           (e)  The ballot for the election shall be printed to provide

1-21     for voting for or against the proposition:  "Adoption of the

1-22     proposed minimum salaries of _____________ for members of the

1-23     Sheriff's Department at an annual cost of ______________, which may

 2-1     or may not cause an increase in the county ad valorem property

 2-2     tax." The proposed salary for each rank, pay grade, or

 2-3     classification as stated in the petition and the total annual cost

 2-4     of the increases must be inserted in the blank spaces [space].

 2-5           (f)  If a majority of the votes cast at the election favor

 2-6     the adoption of the proposed minimum salary, the minimum salary

 2-7     shall take effect on or before the date specified in the petition

 2-8     as the effective date.  If the date on which the results of the

 2-9     official canvass of the election returns are announced is after the

2-10     date specified in the petition as the effective date, the minimum

2-11     salary shall take effect beginning with the first full pay period

2-12     that begins after the date on which the election results are

2-13     canvassed.

2-14           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-19     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-20     passage, and it is so enacted.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1455 passed the Senate on

         May 1, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 24, Nays 5.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1455 passed the House on

         May 8, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 139, Nays 2, one present

         not voting.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

         Approved:

         _______________________________

                     Date

         _______________________________

                   Governor