HBA-NMO S.B. 1755 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1755
By: Armbrister
Natural Resources
5/3/1999
Engrossed


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law provides that the Edwards Aquifer Authority (authority)
consists of single-member voting districts with district lines based on
census blocks.  The existing district lines divide county voting precincts
in seven of the authority's eight counties, resulting in the possible
confusion of voters and election officials.  C.S.H.B. 2987 prohibits a
county election precinct from containing territory from more than one
authority district, and authorizes the authority's board of directors to
modify district lines accordingly. 

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 Article 8280-219, V.T.C.S., by adding Section 1.094, as
follows: 

Sec.  1.094.  MODIFICATION OF DISTRICT LINES AFTER DECENNIAL CENSUS.
Authorizes the Edwards Aquifer Authority board of directors (board) to
modify the district lines described in Section 1.093, after each federal
decennial census, or as needed. Authorizes the board, during March or April
of an even-numbered year, by order, to modify the district lines described
in Section 1.093,  to provide that the lines do not divide a county
election precinct except as necessary to follow the Edwards Aquifer
Authority's (authority) jurisdictional boundaries.  Prohibits modifications
under this section from violating the Federal Voting Rights Act or
increasing or decreasing the number of districts in any county. Prohibits a
county election precinct established by a county in accordance with Chapter
42 (Election Precinct), Election Code, from containing territory from more
than one authority district.   

SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
Effective date: upon passage.