BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.H.B. 945
80R20894 DRH-D By: Herrero, Ortiz, Jr. (Hinojosa)
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current law under the Election Code requires independent school districts to hold their elections on either the May or November uniform election dates. During the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, additional requirements were placed on independent school districts in the Education Code which required elections for trustees to be held in conjunction with either a municipality in which the school district is located or with the general election for state and county officers. The Election Code further allows the City of Corpus Christi to hold an election for municipal officers on any Saturday in April in odd-numbered years. Therefore, school districts within Corpus Christi are unable to hold their elections with the municipality because the city election is not held on a uniform election date. In other words, the product of these requirements limits independent school districts within the municipality of Corpus Christi to only one possible election date in November.
C.S.H.B. 945 to authorize certain independent school districts in Corpus Christi to hold their elections in conjunction with a joint election with the city. This bill allows school districts in Corpus Christi to have the option of a second election date, regardless of whether any other political subdivision is holding an election.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 41.0051, Election Code, as follows:
Sec. 41.0051. GENERAL ELECTION IN CERTAIN COASTAL CITIES. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text.
(b) Authorizes an independent school district located wholly or partly in a city holding an election authorized under Subsection (a) (authorizing the general election for officers of a city that borders the Gulf of Mexico, has a population of more than 230,000 according to the 1980 census, and held its general election for officers in 1987 on the first Saturday in April to be held on any Saturday in April in odd-numbered years) to hold its election for trustees on the same date as a joint election with the city.
SECTION 2. Authorizes the board of trustees of an independent school district, not later than December 31, 2007, to change the date on which it holds its general election for trustee to allow the district to hold its election jointly with a municipality holding an election under Section 41.0051, Election Code, and to adjust the terms of office of trustees to conform to the change of the election date made under Subdivision (1) of this section.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2007.