By Patterson                                    S.B. No. 1084

      75R4921 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to prohibiting the use of mobile polling places during the

 1-3     early voting period.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 85.062(b), Election Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (b)  A polling place established under this section may be

 1-8     located, subject to Subsection (d), at any place in the territory

 1-9     served by the early voting clerk and may be located in any

1-10     stationary structure[, whether stationary or movable,] as directed

1-11     by the authority establishing the branch office.  Ropes or other

1-12     suitable objects may be used at the polling place to ensure

1-13     compliance with Section 62.004. Persons who are not expressly

1-14     permitted by law to be in a polling place shall be excluded from

1-15     the polling place to the extent practicable.

1-16           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-17           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.