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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the membership of the Texas Transportation Commission. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 201.051(a), (b), and (d), |
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Transportation Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The Texas Transportation Commission consists of 15 |
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[five] members, with 14 members elected from geographic districts |
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and one member elected at large [appointed by the governor with the
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advice and consent of the senate]. |
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(b) The legislature shall, at its first regular session |
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after the publication of each United States decennial census, |
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reapportion the geographic districts described in Subsection (a). |
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The districts shall be substantially equal in population, according |
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to the most recent United States decennial census. The legislature |
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shall consider county lines, senatorial and representative |
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districts, and commissioners precincts in the reapportionment |
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process [members shall be appointed to reflect the diverse
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geographic regions and population groups of this state. One member
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must reside in a rural area]. |
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(d) A [Except as provided by Subsection (e), a] person may |
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not serve [is not eligible for appointment] as a member of the |
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commission if the person or the person's spouse: |
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(1) is employed by or participates in the management |
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of a business entity or other organization that is regulated by or |
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receives funds from the department; |
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(2) directly or indirectly owns or controls more than |
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10 percent interest in a business entity or other organization that |
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is regulated by or receives funds from the department; |
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(3) uses or receives a substantial amount of tangible |
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goods, services, or funds from the department, other than |
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compensation or reimbursement authorized by law for commission |
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membership, attendance, or expenses; or |
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(4) is registered, certified, or licensed by the |
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department. |
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SECTION 2. Section 201.052, Transportation Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 201.052. TERMS. Members of the commission elected |
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from geographic districts serve two-year [staggered six-year] |
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terms, and the member elected at large serves a four-year term. The |
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[, with the] terms of the [either one or two] members expire January |
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[expiring February] 1 of an [each] odd-numbered year. |
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SECTION 3. Section 201.053(a), Transportation Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The member of the commission elected at large is |
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[governor periodically shall designate one commissioner as] the |
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chair of the commission, who shall serve as presiding officer of the |
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commission. |
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SECTION 4. Section 52.092(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) Statewide offices of the state government shall be |
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listed in the following order: |
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(1) governor; |
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(2) lieutenant governor; |
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(3) attorney general; |
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(4) comptroller of public accounts; |
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(5) commissioner of the General Land Office; |
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(6) commissioner of agriculture; |
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(7) transportation commission, chair; |
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(8) transportation commissioner; |
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(9) railroad commissioner; |
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(10) [(8)] chief justice, supreme court; |
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(11) [(9)] justice, supreme court; |
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(12) [(10)] presiding judge, court of criminal |
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appeals; |
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(13) [(11)] judge, court of criminal appeals. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 201.051(c) and (i), Transportation |
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Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 6. (a) The legislature shall first apportion the |
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geographic districts described in Section 201.051(a), |
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Transportation Code, as amended by this Act, at the 82nd |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2011. |
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(b) The first members of the Texas Transportation |
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Commission elected under the changes in law made by this Act shall |
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be elected at the general election held in November 2012 to serve |
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for a term that begins January 1, 2013. |
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(c) Until the members of the Texas Transportation |
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Commission elected under this Act take office, the governor will |
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continue to appoint members to the Texas Transportation Commission |
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and those members shall, unless otherwise removed as provided by |
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law, continue in office under the prior law that governed the |
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composition of the Texas Transportation Commission, and that prior |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |