Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2494 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 2494
	1	+	By: Metcalf (Senate Sponsor - Nichols) H.B. No. 2494
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
	3	+	April 20, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Local
	4	+	Government; May 5, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
	5	+	Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 5, 2021, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
2	7
3	8
	9	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	10		AN ACT
5	11		relating to the election of emergency services commissioners in
6	12		certain emergency services districts.
7	13		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	14		SECTION 1. Sections 775.0345(b-1), (d-1), (e), and (h-1),
9	15		Health and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
10	16		(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the governing body of
11	17		a district described by Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)] is governed by a
12	18		five-member board of emergency services commissioners elected from
13	19		single-member districts. One director is elected from each
14	20		single-member district. As soon as possible after the district is
15	21		created, the commissioners court of the county in which the
16	22		district is located shall divide the district into five numbered
17	23		single-member districts.
18	24		(d-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (d), to be eligible to be a
19	25		candidate for emergency services commissioner in a single-member
20	26		district on an initial board in a district described by Subsection
21	27		(a)(2) [or (3)], a person must be at least 18 years of age and a
22	28		resident of that single-member district.
23	29		(e) A candidate for emergency services commissioner on an
24	30		initial board must give the voter registrar of the county a sworn
25	31		notice of the candidate's intention to run for office. The notice
26	32		must state the person's name, age, and address and state that the
27	33		person is serving notice of intent to run for emergency services
28	34		commissioner. If the person intends to run for emergency services
29	35		commissioner in a single-member district in a district described by
30	36		Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)], the notice must also specify the
31	37		single-member district the person seeks to represent. On receipt
32	38		of the notice, the voter registrar of the county shall have the
33	39		candidate's name placed on the ballot.
34	40		(h-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (h), the five initial
35	41		emergency services commissioners elected from single-member
36	42		districts in a district described by Subsection (a)(2) [or (3)]
37	43		shall draw lots to determine which two commissioners serve terms
38	44		that expire on December 31 of the second year following the year in
39	45		which the election was held and which three commissioners serve
40	46		terms that expire on December 31 of the fourth year following the
41	47		year in which the election was held.
42	48		SECTION 2. (a) This Act does not prohibit a person who is
43	49		serving as an emergency services commissioner on the effective date
44	50		of this Act from running for election to the board of commissioners
45	51		after the effective date of this Act if the person has the
46	52		qualifications required for a member under Section 775.0345, Health
47	53		and Safety Code.
48	54		(b) The terms of the emergency services commissioners
49	55		serving on the effective date of this Act expire on the date a
50	56		majority of the new emergency services commissioners elected under
51	57		Subsection (c) of this section qualify to serve.
52	58		(c) The county judge of a county with an emergency services
53	59		district to which Section 775.0345(a)(3), Health and Safety Code,
54	60		applies on the effective date of this Act shall establish an
55	61		election to elect new emergency services commissioners of that
56	62		district in the manner provided by Section 775.0345, Health and
57	63		Safety Code, as amended by this Act, for election of the initial
58	64		commissioners as if the district had been created on the effective
59	65		date of this Act.
60	66		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
61		-	______________________________ ______________________________
62		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
63		-	I certify that H.B. No. 2494 was passed by the House on April
64		-	16, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 1, 2 present, not
65		-	voting.
66		-	______________________________
67		-	Chief Clerk of the House
68		-	I certify that H.B. No. 2494 was passed by the Senate on May
69		-	11, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
70		-	______________________________
71		-	Secretary of the Senate
72		-	APPROVED: _____________________
73		-	Date
74		-	_____________________
75		-	Governor
	67	+	* * * * *