HBA-MSH H.B. 1288 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1288 By: Garcia County Affairs 3/11/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, each county in Texas is divided into four commissioners precincts, regardless of population. Dallas County may be unable to reflect the ethnic diversity of the county with only four commissioners. House Joint Resolution 57 increases the number of commissioners precincts from four to eight. House Bill 1288 amends the number of commissioners required for conducting county business in any county. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 1288 amends the Local Government Code to provide that a majority of the full membership of a commissioners court is a quorum for conducting county business except the levying of a county tax. The bill authorizes a county tax to be levied at any regularly scheduled meeting of the court when at least twothirds of the full membership of the court is present. The bill prohibits a county from levying a tax unless a majority of the full membership of the court vote in favor of the levy. The bill authorizes a quorum of county commissioners to call a special term of the court. EFFECTIVE DATE The date on which the constitutional amendment relating to increasing the number of county commissioners in Dallas County takes effect, if that amendment is approved by the voters.