By Denny H.B. No. 2784 75R5360 DRH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the filling of a vacancy in a nomination of a political 1-3 party. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 145.036(a) and (d), Election Code, are 1-6 amended to read as follows: 1-7 (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), if a candidate's 1-8 name is to be omitted from the ballot under Section 145.035, the 1-9 political party's state, district, county, or precinct executive 1-10 committee, as appropriate for the particular office, may nominate a 1-11 replacement candidate to fill the vacancy in the nomination. The 1-12 filling of a vacancy under this section is subject to party rule 1-13 except as otherwise provided by this code. 1-14 (d) For the purpose of filling a vacancy, a majority of the 1-15 committee's membership constitutes a quorum. To be nominated, a 1-16 person must receive a favorable vote of a majority of the members 1-17 present. A member of the committee making the replacement 1-18 nomination who is otherwise eligible to hold the office in which 1-19 the vacancy in nomination exists may be nominated under this 1-20 section. 1-21 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-22 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.