AN ACT
 1-1     relating to residents' voting rights and the right to file for
 1-2     candidacy after an area is annexed by certain small and medium
 1-3     sized municipalities.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  EFFECT OF ANNEXATION ON VOTING RIGHTS AND RIGHT
 1-6     TO FILE FOR CANDIDACY.  (a)  This section applies only to a
 1-7     home-rule municipality with a population of 110,000 or less as
 1-8     shown by the most recent federal decennial census.
 1-9           (b)  Notwithstanding other law, in a municipal election held
1-10     on or after the 90th day after the effective date of an annexation,
1-11     the municipality shall permit:
1-12                 (1)  all qualified voters residing in the area annexed
1-13     to vote in any municipal election; and
1-14                 (2)  any otherwise qualified person residing in the
1-15     area annexed to file as a candidate for municipal office if the
1-16     person satisfies the residency requirements to be eligible for
1-17     candidacy by any combination of residence in the municipality or
1-18     the area annexed.
1-19           SECTION 2.  EXTENSION OF FILING DEADLINE IN CERTAIN
1-20     CIRCUMSTANCES.  In an election held under Section 1 of this Act, if
1-21     the filing deadline for a candidate's application for a place on
1-22     the ballot in a municipal election expires by other law before the
1-23     effective date of this Act, the filing deadline is extended to the
1-24     third day after the effective date of this Act for purposes of
 2-1     permitting a person who resides in the area annexed to file for
 2-2     candidacy.
 2-3           SECTION 3.  EXPIRATION DATE OF ACT.  This Act expires January
 2-4     1, 2000.
 2-5           SECTION 4.  APPLICATION OF ACT.  The change in law made by
 2-6     this Act applies:
 2-7                 (1)  only to an election held on or after the effective
 2-8     date of this Act; and
 2-9                 (2)  to annexations that occur before, on, or after the
2-10     effective date of this Act.
2-11           SECTION 5.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation
2-12     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-13     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-14     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-15     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-16     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-17     passage, and it is so enacted.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 752 passed the Senate on
         March 10, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 752 passed the House on
         March 18, 1999, by the following vote:  Yeas 143, Nays 0, one
         present not voting.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                     Date
         _______________________________
                   Governor