By Thompson                                           H.B. No. 3309
         76R7895 GGS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the method of judicial selection for Harris County
 1-3     district and statutory county courts.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  The Election Code is amended by adding Title 17
 1-6     to read as follows:
 1-7               TITLE 17. JUDICIAL SELECTION FOR HARRIS COUNTY
 1-8                   CHAPTER 291. JUDICIAL SELECTION METHODS
 1-9           Sec. 291.001.  APPLICABILITY.  This chapter applies only to
1-10     the method of judicial selection for Harris County district and
1-11     statutory county courts.
1-12           Sec. 291.002.  NONPARTISAN ELECTION BY COMMISSIONERS
1-13     PRECINCT.  If required by the referendum under Section 32, Article
1-14     V, Texas Constitution, the judges shall be elected in nonpartisan
1-15     elections by commissioners precinct and by plurality vote.
1-16           Sec. 291.003.  CUMULATIVE VOTING.  If required by the
1-17     referendum under Section 32, Article V, Texas Constitution, the
1-18     judges shall be elected in countywide elections by cumulative
1-19     voting and by plurality vote.
1-20           Sec. 291.004.  APPOINTMENT AND RETENTION ELECTIONS.  If
1-21     required by the referendum under Section 32, Article V, Texas
1-22     Constitution, the judges shall stand for retention or rejection in
1-23     nonpartisan countywide retention elections following appointment by
1-24     the governor, for district courts, and by the county judge for
 2-1     statutory county courts, from a list of nominations made by an
 2-2     elected nominating commission.
 2-3           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001, but only
 2-4     if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 76th Legislature,
 2-5     Regular Session, 1999, providing for a countywide referendum on
 2-6     various methods of judicial selection for Harris County district
 2-7     and statutory county courts is approved by the voters and only if
 2-8     the voters at the referendum to be held in 2000 under that
 2-9     amendment approve a method of judicial selection other than the
2-10     current system of partisan countywide elections. If that amendment
2-11     is not approved by the voters, or if that amendment is approved but
2-12     a method of judicial selection other than the current system is not
2-13     approved at the referendum, this Act has no effect.
2-14           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.