BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 651
85R2788 GRM-F	By: Clardy (Hughes)
	Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs
	5/11/2017
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Interested parties note that there is generally higher voter turnout for elections held in November than there is for elections held in May. As such, H.B. 651 seeks to change the election date of the board of directors of the Rusk County Groundwater Conservation District to take advantage of the likely higher voter turnout in November.

 

H.B. 651 amends Chapter 764, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, to change the election date of the board of directors of the Rusk County Groundwater Conservation District from the first Saturday in May of each even-numbered year to the uniform election date in November of each such year. H.B. 651, in a temporary provision set to expire September 1, 2022, provides for the transition to the new election date of the board of directors.

 

H.B. 651 amends current law relating to the election date of the board of directors of the Rusk County Groundwater Conservation District.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 11(b), Chapter 764, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, to require that the appropriate number of directors of the board of the Rusk County Groundwater Conservation District (directors) be elected on the uniform election date in November of each even-numbered year, rather than to require that the appropriate number of directors be elected on the first Saturday in May of each subsequent even-numbered year following the election.

 

SECTION 2. Repealer: Section 11(a) (relating to requiring that an election be held on a certain date for the election of four directors for the positions held by the four initial directors serving shorter terms from the confirmation election), Chapter 764, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003.

 

SECTION 3. (a) Requires a director who is serving on the day before the effective date of this Act to serve until the director's term expires. Requires a director whose term expires in May 2018 to serve until the director's successor has qualified the following directors' election held on the uniform election date in November 2018 in accordance with Section 11 (Election of Directors), Chapter 764, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, as amended by this Act. Requires a director whose term expires in May 2020 to serve until the director's successor has qualified following the directors' election held on the uniform election date in November 2020.

 

(b) Provides that this section expires September 1, 2022.

 

SECTION 4. Provides that all requirements of the constitution and the laws of this state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled and accomplished.

 

SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 2017.