H.B. 699 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 699
By: Gutierrez
Public Education
Committee Report (Amended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, if a majority of the area of an independent school district is
located in a county with a population of more than 10,000, 70% of the
members of a board of trustees are to be elected by single member
districts. In some rural districts, there is a lack of interest in running
for election. House Bill 699 resolves this by reducing the mandate of 70%
to a 50% requirement of elected trustees from single member districts. The
bill permits school boards to make this change if they deem it necessary.
Reducing the membership of trustees from single member districts to 50%
will result in a larger pool of people to choose from for board
representation. At 50%, single member trustees will only be reduced by one
member on a 7 member board. This reduction will not affect the voting
power of members from single member districts as they will still hold a
4/3 majority on a 7 member board.    


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution.  


ANALYSIS

House Bill 699 amends the Education Code by authorizing the board of
trustees of an independent school district to order that trustees of the
district are to be elected from single-member trustee districts or that
not fewer than 50%, rather than 70%, of the members of the board of
trustees are to be elected from single-member trustee districts with the
remaining trustees to be elected from the district at large. 


EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2003. 


EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

Committee Amendment No. 1 provides that this Act does not apply to a
school board that elected at least 70% of its trustees from single member
districts before the effective date of this Act. The school district shall
be subject to the law in effect immediately before the effective date of
this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.