By Dutton                                              H.B. No. 990
         77R4688 JMG-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to prohibiting term limits for the members of certain
 1-3     municipal governing bodies.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 26, Local Government Code,
 1-6     is amended by adding Section 26.046 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 26.046.  PROHIBITION OF TERM LIMITS IN POPULOUS
 1-8     MUNICIPALITIES.  (a)  This section applies only to a municipality
 1-9     with a population of 1.6 million or more.
1-10           (b)  In this section:
1-11                 (1)  "Governing body of a municipality" includes the
1-12     mayor of the municipality.
1-13                 (2)  "Municipal term limit" means a provision in a
1-14     municipal charter or ordinance that imposes a limit on the number
1-15     of terms or otherwise restricts the length of service a member of
1-16     the governing body of a municipality may serve on the governing
1-17     body.
1-18           (c)  A municipal term limit may not be used to disqualify a
1-19     person from holding or being a candidate for an office on the
1-20     governing body of the municipality.
1-21           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.