By Madden                                              H.B. No. 311
         76R2314 DRH-D                           
                                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 territorial unit
 1-9     described by Section 42.005(a)(3), (4), (5), or (7), the
1-10     commissioners court may submit recommendations to the secretary of
1-11     state on the changes to the territorial units required to allow the
1-12     county to eliminate county election precincts with no population or
1-13     a substantially small population.
1-14           (b)  To be considered by the secretary of state, the
1-15     recommendations must be submitted in the manner prescribed by the
1-16     secretary.
1-17           (c)  The secretary of state shall evaluate all timely
1-18     recommendations submitted in accordance with Subsection (b).  The
1-19     secretary shall compile all recommendations that the secretary
1-20     determines will allow for the elimination of the county election
1-21     precincts in a manner consistent with state and federal law.
1-22           (d)  The secretary of state shall file a report containing
1-23     the information described by Subsection (c) with the governor, the
1-24     lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
 2-1     representatives not later than the date of convening the first
 2-2     regular legislative session that occurs after a redistricting of a
 2-3     territorial unit described by Subsection (a).  If the information
 2-4     submitted is insufficient for the compilation required by
 2-5     Subsection (c), the secretary shall include a statement to that
 2-6     effect in the report.
 2-7           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-8           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-9     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-10     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-11     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-12     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.