81R10295 JSC-F
 
  By: Wentworth S.B. No. 1618
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the election of the governing body of certain
  municipalities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 26, Local Government Code,
  is amended by adding Section 26.048 to read as follows:
         Sec. 26.048.  CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES WITH POPULATION OF
  500,000 OR MORE:  ELECTION FROM SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.  (a) The
  governing body of a municipality with a population of 500,000 or
  more must consist of a mayor elected at large and at least six
  members elected from single-member districts. A member must reside
  in the district the member represents.
         (b)  The municipality may provide for the staggering of the
  terms of the members of the municipality's governing body.
         (c)  A single-member district must be compact and consist of
  contiguous territory. To the extent practicable, all single-member
  districts must be of equal population.
         (d)  This section does not prevent a municipality from having
  additional members elected to the governing body from the
  municipality at-large.
         (e)  A municipality must comply with this section beginning
  with the first general election of members to the municipality's
  governing body that occurs after the year in which the federal
  decennial census indicates that the municipality meets the
  population requirements of Subsection (a).
         SECTION 2.  A municipality to which Section 26.048, Local
  Government Code, as added by this Act, applies on the effective date
  of this Act must comply with the requirements of that section
  beginning with the first general election of members to the
  municipality's governing body that occurs after December 31, 2009.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.