By Danburg H.B. No. 542
74R2007 GGS-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the validity of signatures on a petition filed in
1-3 connection with an election.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 277.002, Election Code, is amended to
1-6 read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 277.002. VALIDITY OF PETITION SIGNATURES. (a) For a
1-8 petition signature to be valid, a petition must:
1-9 (1) contain in addition to the signature:
1-10 (A) the signer's printed name;
1-11 (B) the signer's voter registration number and,
1-12 if the territory from which signatures must be obtained is situated
1-13 in more than one county, the county of registration;
1-14 (C) the signer's residence address; and
1-15 (D) the date of signing; and
1-16 (2) comply with any other applicable requirements
1-17 prescribed by law.
1-18 (b) The signature is the only information that is required
1-19 to appear on the petition in the signer's own handwriting.
1-20 (c) The use of ditto marks or abbreviations does not
1-21 invalidate a signature if the required information is reasonably
1-22 ascertainable.
1-23 (d) The omission of the state from the signer's residence
1-24 address does not invalidate a signature unless the political
2-1 subdivision from which the signature is obtained is situated in
2-2 more than one state. The omission of the zip code from the address
2-3 does not invalidate a signature.
2-4 (e) A petition signature is invalid if the signer signed the
2-5 petition earlier than the 180th day before the date the petition is
2-6 filed.
2-7 SECTION 2. Section 141.063, Election Code, is amended to
2-8 read as follows:
2-9 Sec. 141.063. VALIDITY OF SIGNATURE. (a) A signature on a
2-10 petition is valid if:
2-11 (1) except as otherwise provided by this code, the
2-12 signer, at the time of signing, is a registered voter of the
2-13 territory from which the office sought is elected or has been
2-14 issued a registration certificate for a registration that will
2-15 become effective in that territory on or before the date of the
2-16 applicable election;
2-17 (2) the petition includes the following information
2-18 with respect to each signer:
2-19 (A) the signer's residence address;
2-20 (B) the signer's voter registration number and,
2-21 if the territory from which signatures must be obtained is situated
2-22 in more than one county, the county of registration;
2-23 (C) the date of signing; and
2-24 (D) the signer's printed name;
2-25 (3) the part of the petition in which the signature
2-26 appears contains the affidavit required by Section 141.065;
2-27 (4) each statement that is required by this code to
3-1 appear on each page of the petition appears, at the time of
3-2 signing, on the page on which the signature is entered; and
3-3 (5) any other applicable requirements prescribed by
3-4 this code for a signature's validity are complied with.
3-5 (b) The signature is the only information that is required
3-6 to appear on the petition in the signer's own handwriting.
3-7 (c) The use of ditto marks or abbreviations does not
3-8 invalidate a signature if the required information is reasonably
3-9 ascertainable.
3-10 (d) The omission of the state from the signer's residence
3-11 address does not invalidate a signature unless the political
3-12 subdivision from which the signature is obtained is situated in
3-13 more than one state. The omission of the zip code from the address
3-14 does not invalidate a signature.
3-15 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
3-16 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.