76R11386 MI-D By Puente, King of Uvalde H.B. No. 2987 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2987: By Counts C.S.H.B. No. 2987 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to modification of district lines for the election of 1-3 directors for the Edwards Aquifer Authority. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 626, Acts of the 73rd 1-6 Legislature, Regular Session, 1993 (Article 8280-219, Vernon's 1-7 Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by adding Section 1.094 to read 1-8 as follows: 1-9 Sec. 1.094. MODIFICATION OF DISTRICT LINES AFTER DECENNIAL 1-10 CENSUS. (a) After each federal decennial census, or as needed, 1-11 the board may modify the district lines described in Section 1.093. 1-12 During March or April of an even-numbered year, the board by order 1-13 may modify the district lines described in Section 1.093 to provide 1-14 that the lines do not divide a county election precinct except as 1-15 necessary to follow the authority's jurisdictional boundaries. 1-16 (b) Modifications under this section may not result in: 1-17 (1) the dilution of voting strength of a group covered 1-18 by the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1973c et seq.), 1-19 as amended; 1-20 (2) a dilution of representation of a group covered by 1-21 the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1973c et seq.), as 1-22 amended; 1-23 (3) discouraging participation by a group covered by 1-24 the federal Voting Rights Act (42 U.S.C. Section 1973c et seq.), as 2-1 amended; or 2-2 (4) increasing or decreasing the number of districts 2-3 in any county. 2-4 (c) A county election precinct established by a county in 2-5 accordance with Chapter 42, Election Code, may not contain 2-6 territory from more than one authority district. 2-7 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-13 passage, and it is so enacted.