BWH H.B. 292 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS COUNTY AFFAIRS H.B. 292 By: Chisum 2-21-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND When individuals decide to run for a seat on the local hospital board, they are often unopposed. Nevertheless, the enabling legislation of the hospital district may require the taxpayers to shoulder the cost of printing the name of an unopposed board member on the ballot. The Board of the Hutchinson County Hospital District has requested the legislature to amend its enabling legislation to remove the requirement that the name of an unopposed candidate for the board be printed on the ballot. Chapter 2, Subchapter C of the Election Code currently allows a hospital board to cancel the election of an unopposed board member if deadlines exist for write-in candidates. PURPOSE To remove the requirement that an unopposed candidate for the board of the Hutchinson County Hospital District be printed on the ballot, by providing deadlines for write-in candidates in the enabling legislation. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1: Adds Section 4.055 to the enabling legislation of the Hutchinson County Hospital District as follows: (a) A vote for a write-in candidate for the board of directors may not be counted unless the candidate's name is on the list of write-in candidates. (b) A write-in candidate must make a declaration of write-in candidacy to be entitled to be on the list of write-in candidates. (c) Requires that a declaration of write-in candidacy be filed with the board no later than 5 p.m. of the 45th day before election day. If a candidate dies or becomes ineligible after the 48th day before election day, a write-in candidate may file no later than 5 p.m. of the 42nd day before election day. (d) Applies provisions of the Election Code relevant to write-in candidates to the hospital district to the extent that the Election Code is not in conflict with the hospital district's enabling legislation. SECTION 2: Effective date September 1, 1997. SECTION 3: Emergency Clause.