By Lucio S.B. No. 884
77R1833 PAM-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to eligibility to vote in an election held by an
1-3 irrigation district.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 58, Water Code, is amended by adding
1-6 Subchapter E to read as follows:
1-7 SUBCHAPTER E. ELECTION PROVISIONS
1-8 Sec. 58.221. LANDOWNER. In this subchapter, a reference to
1-9 "landowner" refers to a single landowner who holds fee simple title
1-10 to a parcel of land, regardless of whether the title to the parcel
1-11 of land is held by:
1-12 (1) an individual landowner;
1-13 (2) two or more individual landowners; or
1-14 (3) a corporation, partnership, or other business
1-15 entity.
1-16 Sec. 58.222. ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE. Notwithstanding the
1-17 Election Code and any other law, a landowner is entitled to one
1-18 vote in an election conducted by an irrigation district only if the
1-19 landowner:
1-20 (1) owns at least one acre of irrigable land located
1-21 in the district;
1-22 (2) is entitled to receive and use irrigation water
1-23 delivered by the district through the district's irrigation
1-24 facilities; and
2-1 (3) satisfies all other requirements for voting
2-2 prescribed by this subchapter.
2-3 Sec. 58.223. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. An individual
2-4 landowner, or the landowner's registered representative, is
2-5 eligible to vote only if the individual:
2-6 (1) is 18 years of age or older;
2-7 (2) is a United States citizen;
2-8 (3) has not been determined mentally incompetent by a
2-9 final judgment of a court;
2-10 (4) has not been finally convicted of a felony or, if
2-11 so convicted, has:
2-12 (A) fully discharged the individual's sentence,
2-13 including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or
2-14 completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or
2-15 (B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
2-16 resulting disability to vote; and
2-17 (5) is registered to vote under Section 58.224.
2-18 Sec. 58.224. REGISTRATION REQUIRED. (a) To be eligible to
2-19 vote in district elections, a landowner must register to vote or
2-20 register a representative to vote on a form prescribed by the
2-21 district.
2-22 (b) The form must be received by the district on or before
2-23 the 30th day before the date of the election.
2-24 (c) The registration is valid for a period prescribed by the
2-25 district.
2-26 Sec. 58.225. VOTING BY REPRESENTATIVE. (a) A landowner may
2-27 authorize an individual to vote in a district election as the
3-1 landowner's representative.
3-2 (b) If fee simple title to the land is held by more than one
3-3 individual or by a corporation, partnership, or other business
3-4 entity, the vote must be made by a registered representative.
3-5 Sec. 58.226. LIST OF REGISTERED VOTERS. (a) On or before
3-6 the 10th day before the date of an election, the district shall
3-7 file with the county clerk of each county within which the
3-8 district's boundaries are located a list of registered voters as
3-9 shown by the district's records as of the 30th day before the date
3-10 of the election.
3-11 (b) Only an individual landowner or registered
3-12 representative of a landowner whose name appears on the list of
3-13 registered voters is eligible to vote in a district election.
3-14 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.