By Denny                                               H.B. No. 310
       74R1337 DRH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to primary election dates and procedures and related
    1-3  dates.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 41.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
    1-6  read as follows:
    1-7        (a)  Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, each
    1-8  general or special election in this state shall be held on one of
    1-9  the following dates:
   1-10              (1)  the third Saturday in January;
   1-11              (2)  the fourth Saturday in March <first Saturday in
   1-12  May>;
   1-13              (3)  the second Saturday in August; or
   1-14              (4)  the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
   1-15  November.
   1-16        SECTION 2.  Section 41.0052(a), Election Code, is amended to
   1-17  read as follows:
   1-18        (a)  The governing body of a political subdivision other than
   1-19  a county may, not later than December 31, 1995 <1993>, change the
   1-20  date on which it holds its general election for officers to another
   1-21  authorized uniform election date.  An election on the new date may
   1-22  not be held before 1996 <1994>.
   1-23        SECTION 3.  Sections 41.007(a), (b), and (c), Election Code,
   1-24  are amended to read as follows:
    2-1        (a)  The general primary election date is the second Saturday
    2-2  in May <second Tuesday in March> in each even-numbered year.
    2-3        (b)  The runoff primary election date is the second Saturday
    2-4  in June <second Tuesday in April> following the general primary
    2-5  election.
    2-6        (c)  The presidential primary election date is the second
    2-7  Saturday in May <second Tuesday in March> in each presidential
    2-8  election year.
    2-9        SECTION 4.  Section 43.033, Election Code, is amended by
   2-10  amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
   2-11  follows:
   2-12        (c)  No charge may be made for the use of a public building
   2-13  for a polling place for a primary election.
   2-14        (d) <(c)>  A person commits an offense if the person assesses
   2-15  a charge for the use of a public building for a polling place in
   2-16  violation of this section <Subsection (a)>.  An offense under this
   2-17  subsection is a Class C misdemeanor.
   2-18        SECTION 5.  Section 172.023(a), Election Code, is amended to
   2-19  read as follows:
   2-20        (a)  An application for a place on the general primary
   2-21  election ballot must be filed not later than 6 p.m. on the second
   2-22  Monday in February <January 2> in the primary election year unless
   2-23  the filing deadline is extended under Subchapter C.
   2-24        SECTION 6.  The term of a person who is serving as a county
   2-25  or precinct chairman of a political party on the effective date of
   2-26  this Act ends on the 20th day after the second Saturday in June
   2-27  1996.
    3-1        SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
    3-2        SECTION 8.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-3  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-4  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-5  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-6  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.