By Maxey, Greenberg                                    H.B. No. 324

         75R8971 DRH-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the days and hours during which early voting by

 1-3     personal appearance is conducted in certain municipalities.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 85, Election Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 85.008 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 85.008.  DAYS AND HOURS FOR VOTING:  ELECTION IN CERTAIN

 1-8     CITIES.  (a)  This section applies only to a city with a population

 1-9     of more than 450,000 in which all members of the governing body are

1-10     elected on an at-large basis.

1-11           (b)  Notwithstanding and in addition to other applicable

1-12     provisions of this code, in an election in which the city secretary

1-13     is the early voting clerk under Section 83.005, early voting by

1-14     personal appearance shall be conducted on the corresponding days

1-15     and for the same number of hours that the voting is required to be

1-16     conducted in the general election for state and county officers in

1-17     the county in which a majority of the population of the city is

1-18     located.

1-19           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.