BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1185

By: Fallon

Urban Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties have raised concerns regarding term limits for members of the governing bodies of certain municipalities and contend that certain municipalities should have the ability to present the issue of municipal term limits to the voters. H.B. 1185 seeks to address this concern by authorizing the governing body of a general-law municipality to order an election to impose, amend, or repeal municipal term limits.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

H.B. 1185 amends the Local Government Code to authorize the governing body of a general-law municipality, including the governing body's presiding officer, to order an election to impose, amend, or repeal municipal term limits. The bill sets out the ballot language for each such election and provides for the imposition, amendment, or repeal of term limits, as applicable, if a majority of the votes received at the election favor the proposition. A municipal term limit imposed or amended by an election held under the bill's provisions expressly does not apply to a term that a member of the governing body is serving or was elected or appointed to serve on or before the election date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2017.