Sec. 304.004. DESIGNATION OF EMERGENCY INTERIM SUCCESSORS. (a) Each legislator shall designate not less than three nor more than seven individuals to serve as emergency interim successors if the legislator is certified to be unavailable to serve as provided by this chapter. Each individual designated must meet age and residence requirements for a senator or representative, as applicable, and must submit a written acceptance to the legislator.

(b) To be effective, a designation must include the name and address of the designee.

(c) As soon as practicable after a legislator takes the oath of office for the legislator's term, the legislator shall file a list of the legislator's designees who have accepted the designation, ranked in order of succession, together with the written acceptance of each designee, with the secretary of the senate or the chief clerk of the house of representatives, as applicable. That officer shall promptly deliver a certified copy of the list and of each acceptance to the secretary of state.

(d) At least annually, each legislator shall review the most recent list of emergency interim successors to the position held by the legislator to ensure that there are at least three qualified emergency interim successors on the list. Each legislator shall make revisions to the list as necessary and may make other revisions the legislator considers appropriate. A revision designating a new emergency interim successor must be accompanied by the written acceptance of the designee. The secretary of the senate or chief clerk of the house, as applicable, shall promptly deliver a certified copy of each revision and of any accompanying acceptance to the secretary of state.

(e) If at any time a legislator has not designated emergency interim successors as required by this section, the lieutenant governor or speaker of the house, as appropriate, may designate in order of succession not more than seven individuals to serve as emergency interim successors if that legislator becomes unavailable. Each individual designated must meet the applicable age and residence requirements and submit a written acceptance of the designation. The lieutenant governor or speaker shall file the list and the written acceptances of the designees with the secretary of the senate or the chief clerk of the house, as applicable, who shall deliver a certified copy of the list and of each acceptance to the secretary of state. At any time, the legislator in the manner provided by this section may make revisions to the list filed under this subsection or file a superseding list of designees.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 479, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 297 (S.B. 308), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.