HBA-MPA H.B. 1765 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1765 By: Maxey Urban Affairs 3/23/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a city is limited to a strict majority voting system for the election of its governing body. Other voting methods are available: instant run-off voting, proportional voting, and preferential voting. H.B. 1765 allows a city, by charter, to elect the members of its governing body by majority vote or any voting method approved by its citizens. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 26, Local Government Code, by adding Section 26.0415, to authorize a municipality with a population of more than 450,000 to provide by charter for the election of the members of its governing body by any voting method, including the use of majority voting, cumulative voting, instant run-off voting, proportional voting, or preferential voting. SECTION 2. Amends Section 275.001, Election Code, to exempt from this chapter a city over 200,000 in population which adopts a method of voting under Section 26.0415, Local Government Code. SECTION 3. Provides that this Act takes effect on the date on which the constitutional amendment proposed by the 76th Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, (HJR 63), relating to restrictions on voting methods for a municipal governing body takes effect. If the amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.