1-1     By:  Ogden                                             S.B. No. 189
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 19, 1999; January 28, 1999,
 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental
 1-4     Relations; February 18, 1999, reported favorably by the following
 1-5     vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; February 18, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the election of the members of the board of directors
 1-9     of the Burleson County Hospital District.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 8, Chapter 726, Acts of the 65th
1-12     Legislature, Regular Session, 1977, is amended to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 8.  The district shall be governed by a board of 11
1-14     directors.  To be qualified to serve as a director a person shall
1-15     be not less than 21 years old and a qualified voter within the
1-16     district.  After approval by the qualified voters of the district
1-17     of the proposition set forth in Section 7 of this Act, in the
1-18     manner therein provided, an election shall be held in the district
1-19     [on the first Saturday of each April] for the election of
1-20     directors. In even-numbered years the five directors who shall
1-21     occupy the even-numbered places shall be elected to serve two
1-22     years.  In odd-numbered years the six directors who shall occupy
1-23     the odd-numbered places shall be elected to serve two years.
1-24     Thereafter, in [on the first Saturday in April of] each following
1-25     year such elections shall be held in continuing sequence in
1-26     accordance with Chapter 41, Election Code.  Except for the
1-27     temporary directors herein appointed, any candidate for the office
1-28     of director shall file with the secretary of the board, or any
1-29     agent who may be designated by the board, his application to have
1-30     his name printed on the ballot.  Such application shall be signed
1-31     by a candidate, or by 10 qualified voters of the district, and must
1-32     [shall] be filed not later than 5 p.m. of the 45th day before
1-33     election day [at least 15 days before the election].  A vacancy in
1-34     the office of director or any office on the board shall be promptly
1-35     filled by appointment of the board for the unexpired term.
1-36           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-37           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-38     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-39     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-40     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-41     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-42                                  * * * * *