BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2788

By: White

County Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that the boards of emergency services commissioners for certain emergency services districts located in more than one county may not accurately reflect the needs of the applicable service areas. H.B. 2788 seeks to address this issue by providing for the appointment of the boards for certain districts located in more than one county.

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. 2788 amends the Health and Safety Code to set out provisions relating to the appointment of a board of emergency services commissioners in an emergency services district that was authorized to have a board of emergency services commissioners appointed under specified former statutory provisions and that is located partly in a county with a population of less than 22,000 and partly in a county with a population of more than 54,000. The bill establishes that a five-member board of emergency services commissioners appointed under the bill's provisions serves as the district's governing body and that a commissioner serves a two-year term. The bill requires the commissioners court of the smallest county in which the district is located to appoint two commissioners to the board and requires the commissioners court of the largest county in which the district is located to appoint three commissioners to the board. The bill requires a person, to be eligible for appointment as an emergency services commissioner under the bill's provisions, to be at least 18 years of age and reside in the district. The bill requires two commissioners to reside in the smallest county in which the district is located and requires three commissioners to reside in the largest county in which the district is located. The bill requires a commissioners court, on January 1 of each year, to appoint a successor for each emergency services commissioner appointed by that commissioners court whose term has expired. The bill requires the appropriate commissioners court to fill a vacancy on the board for the remainder of the unexpired term.

H.B. 2788 exempts an emergency services district under the bill's provisions from statutory provisions relating to the election of a board in a district located in more than one county. The bill provides for the validation, ratification, and confirmation of certain actions and proceedings of an emergency services district to which the specified former statutory provisions applied and that relate to the selection of emergency services commissioners of the district.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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