By Naishtat H.B. No. 3125 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to procedures for the election of members of the board of 1-3 trustees of the Employees Retirement System of Texas. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 815, Government Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 815.00301 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 815.00301. PROCEDURES FOR TRUSTEE ELECTION. (a) The 1-8 retirement system shall develop and maintain a database containing 1-9 the home addresses of all members and retirees of the retirement 1-10 system. 1-11 (b) Before printing ballots for an election to be conducted 1-12 under Section 815.003, the retirement system shall send a copy of 1-13 the proposed ballot to each person who is a candidate for election 1-14 to the board of trustees under rules adopted under Section 815.003. 1-15 A candidate may request changes in the form of the ballot within 10 1-16 days after the date of receipt of the copy of the proposed ballot. 1-17 A candidate aggrieved by a failure of the retirement system to make 1-18 a change in a proposed ballot is entitled to a hearing on the 1-19 change before the board of trustees at the next board meeting. 1-20 (c) The retirement system shall mail a ballot for the 1-21 election to each eligible voter at the voter's home address. The 1-22 ballot shall provide for voting by prepaid return mail and state 1-23 that ballots may not be collected and returned by a personnel, 2-1 accounting, or other office of a state agency. 2-2 (d) The retirement system shall: 2-3 (1) establish a statewide, toll-free telephone line to 2-4 receive reports from eligible voters of undelivered ballots and 2-5 provide other assistance relating to the election; and 2-6 (2) mail a ballot to an eligible voter not later than 2-7 the third day after the day the system receives a report of an 2-8 undelivered ballot. 2-9 (e) Each state agency shall provide to a candidate for 2-10 election to the board of trustees access to the agency's eligible 2-11 voters for the purpose of campaigning and shall post the number of 2-12 the toll-free telephone line for the election at prominent places 2-13 on agency premises. 2-14 (f) Upon the request and at the expense of a candidate, the 2-15 retirement system shall mail materials supplied by that candidate 2-16 to all retired members of the system. 2-17 (g) The retirement system shall store returned ballots 2-18 unopened in a secure place until after the deadline for receipt of 2-19 votes in the election. 2-20 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 2-21 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.