HBA-NMO C.S.H.B. 2987 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2987 By: Puente Natural Resources 4/15/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) 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. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute differs from the original in SECTION 1 (proposed Section 1.094, Article 8280-219, V.T.C.S.) by authorizing the Edwards Aquifer Authority board of directors to modify the district lines described in Section 1.093, as needed, in addition to after each federal decennial census. The substitute also differs by prohibiting modifications under this proposed section from increasing or decreasing the number of districts in any county.