1-1     By:  Wentworth                                        S.B. No. 1790

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 14, 1997; March 24, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental

 1-4     Relations; April 10, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable

 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;

 1-6     April 10, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1790                 By:  Shapiro

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to the composition of the board of directors of certain

1-11     metropolitan transit authorities.

1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-13           SECTION 1.  Section 451.501, Transportation Code, is amended

1-14     by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:

1-15           (g)  This section does not apply to the board of an authority

1-16     described by Section 451.5021(a).

1-17           SECTION 2.  Section 451.502, Transportation Code, is amended

1-18     by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

1-19           (f)  This section does not apply to the board of an authority

1-20     described by Section 451.5021(a).

1-21           SECTION 3.  Subchapter K, Chapter 451, Transportation Code,

1-22     is amended by adding Section 451.5021 to read as follows:

1-23           Sec. 451.5021.  BOARD COMPOSITION; CERTAIN AUTHORITIES.

1-24     (a)  This section applies only to the board of an authority

1-25     confirmed before July 1, 1985, in which the principal municipality

1-26     has a population of less than 750,000.

1-27           (b)  The board is composed of nine members who are appointed

1-28     as follows:

1-29                 (1)  five members are appointed by the governing body

1-30     of the principal municipality;

1-31                 (2)  one member is appointed by the members of the

1-32     commissioners court of the principal county;

1-33                 (3)  one member is appointed by a panel composed of:

1-34                       (A)  the mayors of all municipalities in the

1-35     authority located outside the principal county of the authority,

1-36     excluding the mayor of the principal municipality; and

1-37                       (B)  the county judges of the counties having

1-38     unincorporated area in the authority, excluding the county judge of

1-39     the principal county;

1-40                 (4)  one member is appointed by a panel composed of the

1-41     mayors of all the municipalities in the authority located in the

1-42     principal county of the authority, excluding the mayor of the

1-43     principal municipality; and

1-44                 (5)  one member is appointed by the metropolitan

1-45     planning organization that serves the area of the authority.

1-46           (c)  A panel appointing a member under this section operates

1-47     in the manner prescribed by Section 451.503.

1-48           (d)  A member appointed under Subsection (b)(5) is nominated

1-49     by the presiding officer of the organization and confirmed by the

1-50     governing body of the organization.

1-51           (e)  In this section, "principal county" has the meaning

1-52     assigned by Section 451.501(f).

1-53           SECTION 4.  (a)  This section applies only to the board of

1-54     directors of a metropolitan transit authority created before July

1-55     1, 1985, by a municipality with a population of less than 750,000.

1-56           (b)  The governmental entities entitled to make additional

1-57     appointments under Section 451.5021, Transportation Code, as added

1-58     by this Act, shall make the initial appointments as soon as

1-59     practical after the effective date of this Act.

1-60           (c)  The board may reduce the length of the term of a person

1-61     initially appointed under Subsection (b) of this section to allow

1-62     for staggered terms.

1-63           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-64           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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