Relating to the election and resignation of and filling of vacancies on the board of commissioners of the Brazoria Drainage District No. 4, the official text

H.B. No. 2694

AN ACT

relating to the election and resignation of and filling of

vacancies on the board of commissioners of the Brazoria Drainage

District No. 4.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 7, Chapter 991, Acts of the 74th

Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, is amended by amending

Subsections (a) and (f) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as

follows:

(a) The district is managed by a board of three

commissioners as provided by Chapter 56, Water Code, and each holds

an elected office designated as Place No. 1, Place No. 2, or Place

No. 3. The board shall call and hold elections for the appropriate

number of commissioners on the uniform election date in May

[November] of each odd-numbered [even-numbered] year. The

[Notwithstanding Section 56.063, Water Code, the] commissioners

serve staggered four-year terms, each beginning June [January] 1 of

the year of [following] the commissioner's election and continuing

until the commissioner's successor in office is elected and has

qualified.

(a-1) If a commissioner announces the commissioner's

candidacy, or in fact becomes a candidate, in any general, special,

or primary election for any office of profit or trust under the laws

of this state or the United States other than the office of

commissioner for the district at any time when the unexpired term of

office of the commissioner exceeds one year and 30 days, the

announcement or candidacy constitutes an automatic resignation of

the office of the commissioner.

(f) A vacancy in a commissioner's office or other board

office shall be filled as provided by Section 49.105, Water Code [by

appointment by the remaining commissioners if less than 290 days

remain before the date of the next regular election of one or more

commissioners. If the commissioners do not agree on an appointment

before the 61st day after the date the vacancy occurs, the

commissioners shall call and hold a special election to fill the

office before the 121st day after the date the vacancy occurs].

SECTION 2. Sections 7(b), (c), (d), (e), (h), and (i),

Chapter 991, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995,

are repealed.

SECTION 3. (a) The Brazoria Drainage District No. 4 shall

hold the first election to elect commissioners for Place No. 1 and

Place No. 2 as described by Section 7(a), Chapter 991, Acts of the

74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, as amended by this Act, on

the uniform election date in May 2029.

(b) The Brazoria Drainage District No. 4 shall hold the

first election to elect the commissioner for Place No. 3 as

described by Section 7(a), Chapter 991, Acts of the 74th

Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, as amended by this Act, on the

uniform election date in May 2027.

(c) The terms of the commissioners for Place No. 1 and Place

No. 2 serving on the board of commissioners of the Brazoria Drainage

District No. 4 on the effective date of this Act expire on the later

of May 31, 2029, or the date the commissioners elected under

Subsection (a) of this section have qualified.

(d) The term of the commissioner for Place No. 3 serving on

the board of commissioners of the Brazoria Drainage District No. 4

immediately before the date of the election held under Subsection

(b) of this section expires on the later of May 31, 2027, or the date

the commissioner elected under that subsection has qualified.

SECTION 4. (a) The legal notice of the intention to

introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this

Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a

copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies,

officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished

under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313,

Government Code.

(b) The governor, one of the required recipients, has

submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on

Environmental Quality.

(c) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed

its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the

lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of

representatives within the required time.

(d) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this

state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect

to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled

and accomplished.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

______________________________
______________________________

President of the Senate
Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 2694 was passed by the House on May

16, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 120, Nays 11, 2 present, not

voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 2694 was passed by the Senate on May

28, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.

______________________________

Secretary of the Senate

APPROVED: _____________________

Date

_____________________

Governor