76R13843 DRH-D                           
         By Madden, Jones of Lubbock                            H.B. No. 311
         Substitute the following for H.B. No. 311:
         By Madden                                          C.S.H.B. No. 311
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the elimination of unnecessary county election
 1-3     precincts.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 42, Election Code, is
 1-6     amended by adding Section 42.010 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 42.010.  RECOMMENDATION ON ELIMINATION OF LESS POPULOUS
 1-8     PRECINCTS.  (a)  After each redistricting of a ward of a city
 1-9     described by Section 42.005(a)(6), the commissioners court may
1-10     submit recommendations to the governing body of the city on changes
1-11     to the wards of the city to allow the county to eliminate county
1-12     election precincts with no population or a substantially small
1-13     population.
1-14           (b)  After each redistricting of a territorial unit described
1-15     by Section 42.005(a)(1) or (2), the commissioners court shall
1-16     consider changes to the territorial units to allow the county to
1-17     eliminate county election precincts with no population or a
1-18     substantially small population.
1-19           (c)  After each redistricting of a territorial unit described
1-20     by Section 42.005(a)(3), (4), (5), or (7), the commissioners court
1-21     may submit recommendations to the secretary of state on changes to
1-22     the territorial units to allow the county to eliminate county
1-23     election precincts with no population or a substantially small
1-24     population.
 2-1           (d)  To be considered by the secretary of state, the
 2-2     recommendations must be submitted in the manner prescribed by the
 2-3     secretary.
 2-4           (e)  The secretary of state shall evaluate all timely
 2-5     recommendations submitted in accordance with Subsection (d).  The
 2-6     secretary shall compile all recommendations for the elimination of
 2-7     the county election precincts in a manner consistent with state and
 2-8     federal law.
 2-9           (f)  The secretary of state shall file a report containing
2-10     the information described by Subsection (e) with the governor, the
2-11     lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
2-12     representatives not later than the date of convening the first
2-13     regular legislative session that occurs after a redistricting of a
2-14     territorial unit described by Subsection (c).  If the information
2-15     submitted is insufficient for the compilation required by
2-16     Subsection (e), the secretary shall include a statement to that
2-17     effect in the report.
2-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.