By Puente                                             H.B. No. 2987
         76R9283 MI-F                           
                                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, the board may
1-11     modify,  as needed, 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; or
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.
 2-2           (c)  A county election precinct established by a county in
 2-3     accordance with Chapter 42, Election Code, may not contain
 2-4     territory from more than one authority district.
 2-5           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
 2-6     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 2-7     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 2-8     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 2-9     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-10     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-11     passage, and it is so enacted.