By Madden                                              H.B. No. 477
         76R1590 DRH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the vote required for election of the governing board
 1-3     of certain junior college districts.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 130.082(g), Education Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           (g)  The board shall designate a number for the position held
 1-8     by each member of the board, from one upward in consecutive
 1-9     numerical order in such manner that the lowest numbers shall be
1-10     assigned to the members whose terms of office expire in the
1-11     shortest length of time, provided that any such position number
1-12     designations on existing boards under existing law at the effective
1-13     date of this act shall remain in effect.  At each election
1-14     candidates shall be voted upon and be elected separately for each
1-15     position on the board, and the name of each candidate shall be
1-16     placed on the official ballot according to the number of the
1-17     position for which he or she is running.  A candidate receiving [a
1-18     majority of] the most votes cast [for all candidates] for a
1-19     position shall be declared elected.  [If no candidate receives such
1-20     a majority, then the two candidates receiving the highest number of
1-21     votes shall run against each other for the position.  The run-off
1-22     election for all positions shall be held on a date that complies
1-23     with law and shall be ordered, notice thereof given, and held, as
1-24     provided herein for regular elections.]  Any resident, qualified
 2-1     elector of the district may have his or her name placed as a
 2-2     candidate on the official ballot for any position to be filled at
 2-3     each regular election by filing with the secretary of the board a
 2-4     written application therefor signed by the applicant, not later
 2-5     than 5 p.m.  of the 45th day before the date of the election.  An
 2-6     application may not be filed earlier than the 30th day before the
 2-7     date of the filing deadline.  Such application must state the
 2-8     number of the position for which he or she is a candidate, or the
 2-9     name of the incumbent member of the board holding the position for
2-10     which he or she desires to run.  The location on the ballot of the
2-11     names of candidates for each position shall be chosen by lot by the
2-12     board.  A candidate shall be eligible to run for only one position
2-13     at each election.
2-14           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.