By Wentworth S.B. No. 1790 75R9376 DRH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the composition of the board of directors of certain 1-3 metropolitan transit authorities. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 451.501, Transportation Code, is amended 1-6 by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: 1-7 (g) This section does not apply to the board of an authority 1-8 described by Section 451.5021(a). 1-9 SECTION 2. Section 451.502, Transportation Code, is amended 1-10 by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: 1-11 (f) This section does not apply to the board of an authority 1-12 described by Section 451.5021(a). 1-13 SECTION 3. Subchapter K, Chapter 451, Transportation Code, 1-14 is amended by adding Section 451.5021 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 451.5021. BOARD COMPOSITION; CERTAIN AUTHORITIES. (a) 1-16 This section applies only to the board of an authority confirmed 1-17 before July 1, 1985, in which the principal municipality has a 1-18 population of less than 750,000. 1-19 (b) The board is composed of nine members who are appointed 1-20 as follows: 1-21 (1) five members are appointed by the governing body 1-22 of the principal municipality; 1-23 (2) one member is appointed by the members of the 1-24 commissioners court of the principal county; 2-1 (3) one member is appointed by a panel composed of: 2-2 (A) the mayors of all municipalities in the 2-3 authority located outside the principal county of the authority, 2-4 excluding the mayor of the principal municipality; and 2-5 (B) the county judges of the counties having 2-6 unincorporated area in the authority, excluding the county judge of 2-7 the principal county; 2-8 (4) one member is appointed by a panel composed of the 2-9 mayors of all the municipalities in the authority located in the 2-10 principal county of the authority, excluding the mayor of the 2-11 principal municipality; and 2-12 (5) one member is appointed by the metropolitan 2-13 planning organization that serves the area of the authority. 2-14 (c) A panel appointing a member under this section operates 2-15 in the manner prescribed by Section 451.503. 2-16 (d) A member appointed under Subsection (b)(5) is nominated 2-17 by the presiding officer of the organization and confirmed by the 2-18 governing body of the organization. 2-19 (e) In this section, "principal county" has the meaning 2-20 assigned by Section 451.501(f). 2-21 SECTION 4. (a) This section applies only to the board of 2-22 directors of a metropolitan transit authority created before July 2-23 1, 1985, by a municipality with a population of less than 750,000. 2-24 (b) The governmental entities entitled to make additional 2-25 appointments under Section 451.5021, Transportation Code, as added 2-26 by this Act, shall make the initial appointments as soon as 2-27 practical after the effective date of this Act. 3-1 (c) The board may reduce the length of the term of a person 3-2 initially appointed under Subsection (b) of this section to allow 3-3 for staggered terms. 3-4 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 3-5 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the 3-6 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-7 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-8 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-9 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.