By: Ellis, et al. S.B. No. 82 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to written communications used by voters in a polling 1-2 place. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 61, Election Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Section 61.011 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 61.011. REMOVING WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS FOUND IN 1-7 POLLING PLACE. (a) An election officer shall periodically check 1-8 each voting station and other areas of the polling place for sample 1-9 ballots or other written communications used by voters that were 1-10 left or discarded in the polling place. 1-11 (b) An election officer shall remove from the sight of the 1-12 voters any written communication found under Subsection (a). 1-13 SECTION 2. Section 63.011, Election Code, is repealed. 1-14 SECTION 3. An offense under Section 63.011, Election Code, 1-15 committed before the effective date of this Act is subject to the 1-16 law in effect when the offense was committed, and that law is 1-17 continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this 1-18 section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this 1-19 Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. 1-20 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-21 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 1-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-23 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.