By Lindsay S.B. No. 156 76R1493 DRH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the conversion to an elected board of certain mass 1-3 transit authorities. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter K, Chapter 451, Transportation Code, 1-6 is amended by adding Section 451.5022 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 451.5022. ELECTED BOARD: CERTAIN AUTHORITIES. (a) 1-8 This section applies only to the board of an authority in which the 1-9 principal municipality has a population of more than 1.2 million. 1-10 (b) The authority shall be divided into 11 districts to 1-11 elect members of the board. The districts must be compact and must 1-12 be as nearly as practicable contiguous and of equal population 1-13 according to the most recent federal census. The districts shall 1-14 be drawn by a panel composed of: 1-15 (1) three members appointed by the governing body of 1-16 the principal municipality; 1-17 (2) three members appointed by the commissioners court 1-18 of the principal county; and 1-19 (3) one member appointed jointly by the governing 1-20 bodies of the municipalities located in the authority other than 1-21 the principal municipality. 1-22 (c) A member of the governing body of the principal or other 1-23 municipality or of the commissioners court may be appointed to the 1-24 panel. 2-1 (d) The panel shall redraw the districts following each 2-2 federal decennial census or at other times as required by the 2-3 addition or loss of territory by the authority. 2-4 (e) Each district is entitled to elect one member to the 2-5 board. A candidate for the board must be a resident of the 2-6 district the candidate seeks to represent. A member of the board 2-7 vacates the office if the member ceases to reside in the district 2-8 the member represents. 2-9 (f) The election for members of the board shall be held on 2-10 the same day as the election for the members of the governing body 2-11 of the principal municipality. To be a candidate for the board, a 2-12 person must pay a filing fee to the authority equal to the filing 2-13 fee that a candidate for the governing body of the principal 2-14 municipality must pay. A candidate must receive a majority of the 2-15 votes in the district to be elected to the board. A runoff 2-16 election shall be held on the same day a runoff election is held 2-17 for the members of the governing body of the principal 2-18 municipality. 2-19 (g) Members of the board serve staggered terms of four 2-20 years. A term begins on January 2 of the year following the 2-21 election. Following a redistricting of the authority after the 2-22 release of a new federal decennial census, an election shall be 2-23 held in each district of the authority. At the first meeting of 2-24 the new board following the election, the members of the board 2-25 shall draw lots to determine the length of their terms. Six 2-26 members shall serve four-year terms and the remaining members shall 2-27 serve two-year terms. 3-1 (h) A vacancy on the board is filled by appointment by the 3-2 remaining board members. The appointed person serves only until 3-3 the next election for members of the board. 3-4 (i) A person may not serve more than 12 years on the board 3-5 and may not be appointed or elected to a term for which service to 3-6 the completion of the term would exceed this limitation. 3-7 (j) Notwithstanding Section 451.519, a board member is 3-8 entitled to be paid $100 for each board meeting attended by the 3-9 member. Instead of this amount the board may pay board members any 3-10 amount that is less than or equal to 20 percent of the amount that 3-11 a county commissioner of the principal county earns. The authority 3-12 shall reimburse a board member for necessary expenses as required 3-13 by Section 451.519(a). 3-14 (k) In this section, "principal county" has the meaning 3-15 assigned by Section 451.501. 3-16 SECTION 2. (a) This section applies only to an authority to 3-17 which Section 451.5022, Transportation Code, as added by Section 1 3-18 of this Act, applies. 3-19 (b) The panel shall draw the districts required by Section 3-20 451.5022(b), Transportation Code, not later than September 15, 3-21 1999. 3-22 (c) The initial election for members to the board shall be 3-23 held on November 2, 1999. 3-24 (d) At the initial meeting of the members who are elected to 3-25 the board, the members of the board shall draw lots to determine 3-26 the length of their terms. Six members shall serve four-year terms 3-27 and the remaining members shall serve two-year terms. 4-1 (e) The terms of all members serving on the board on 4-2 December 31, 1999, expire on the date when a majority of the 4-3 members elected to the board have qualified to take office. 4-4 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 4-5 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 4-9 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 4-10 passage, and it is so enacted.