BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3918

By: Plesa

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The bill author has informed the committee that political signs are key campaign materials, allowing individuals and groups to display support for candidates, policies, or political movements. The bill author has additionally informed the committee that the Local Government Code provides that municipalities retain the authority to enact local regulations governing the placement, size, duration, and removal of signs to address community-specific concerns, including safety, aesthetics, and traffic visibility. The bill author has further informed the committee that there is currently no requirement for municipalities to disseminate information relating to local signage regulations to campaigns, businesses, or independent owners of political signs, making it difficult for entities to comply with the wide variety of regulations that can exist across municipalities. H.B. 3918 seeks to enhance transparency by requiring municipalities to make campaign sign regulation information more readily available.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3918 amends the Election Code to require the governing body of each municipality to publish on the municipality's website a copy of any local regulation governing the placement of political signs in the municipality's boundaries and a map outlining any area in the municipality in which the placement of political signs is specifically regulated or prohibited. The bill requires the clerk or secretary of the governing body of a municipality to provide a copy of such information to the following individuals:

· each candidate for an office in the municipality;

· the elections officer of each political subdivision whose boundaries cross into or are contained in the municipality's boundaries; and

· the county chair or clerk of each political party in the county in which the municipality is located or, if the seat is vacant, the state chair of that political party.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.