By:  Madla                                                        S.B. No. 1437
	(In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2005; March 21, 2005, read 
first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental 
Relations; April 7, 2005, reported favorably by the following 
vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; April 7, 2005, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to emergency services district boards in districts located 
in more than one county.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subsection (g), Section 775.035, Health and 
Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
	(g)  The initial emergency services commissioners' terms of 
office begin 30 days after canvassing of [on January 1 of the year 
following] the election results.  The two commissioners who 
received the fewest votes serve a term that expires on December 31 
of the year in which the election was held [one-year terms].  The 
other emergency services commissioners serve [two-year] terms that 
expire on December 31 of the year following the election.
	SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 775, Health and Safety 
Code, is amended by adding Section 775.044 to read as follows:
	Sec. 775.044.  VACANCY ON BOARD OF DISTRICT LOCATED IN MORE 
THAN ONE COUNTY.  (a)  Not later than the 90th day after a board 
vacancy for a district located in more than one county occurs, the 
remaining board members shall appoint a person to fill the 
unexpired term.
	(b)  If the board has not filled the vacancy before the 91st 
day after the date of the vacancy, the commissioners court of the 
county where the previous board member resided shall appoint a 
person to fill the vacancy.
	(c)  A person appointed under this section must be eligible 
to serve under Section 775.035.
	SECTION 3.  Subsection (g), Section 775.035, Health and 
Safety Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to an initial 
commissioner elected on or after the effective date of this Act.  An 
initial commissioner elected before the effective date of this Act 
is governed by the law in effect when the initial commissioner was 
elected, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.                           



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