BILL ANALYSIS
By: Madden
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Under current law, the terms of trustees of independent school districts last either three or four years. Under this system, elections for one third of the three-year independent school district trustees are held yearly, and elections for one half of the four-year trustees are held biennially. This system creates inefficiencies because costly elections are held each year, and voters may be unaware on which uniform date elections are held. Creating a uniform term length for school board trustees and consolidating these elections with the November general election will increase voter participation and reduce the cost of elections. House Bill 855 modifies provisions relating to elections and terms of office for trustees of an independent school district.
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 855 amends the Education and Election Codes by providing that the term for all independent school district trustees is four, rather than three or four, years. The bill requires general elections for trustees be held on the uniform election date in November only, in even-numbered years.
The bill provides for a transitional period to implement the changes in the length of trustee terms and the schedule of elections for the school district trustees. To implement the changes in school board trustee terms and the date of trustee elections, the bill authorizes a person to serve a term as school district trustee that is longer than the term for which the person was election.
EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or if the Act does not receive a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house, September 1, 2005.