By Patterson                                    S.B. No. 1090

      75R3750 DRH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to a signature  verification committee in the general

 1-3     election for state and county officers.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 87.027(a), Election Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  A signature verification committee may be appointed in

 1-8     any election.  The early voting clerk is the authority responsible

 1-9     for determining whether a signature verification committee is to be

1-10     appointed.  If the clerk determines that a committee is to be

1-11     appointed, the clerk shall issue a written order calling for the

1-12     appointment.  Section 87.0271 supersedes this section to the extent

1-13     of a conflict.

1-14           SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 87, Election Code, is

1-15     amended by adding Section 87.0271 to read as follows:

1-16           Sec. 87.0271.  COMMITTEE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIC TO GENERAL

1-17     ELECTION FOR STATE AND COUNTY OFFICERS.  (a)  A signature

1-18     verification committee shall be appointed in the general election

1-19     for state and county officers.  Except as provided by this section,

1-20     Section 87.027 applies to the committee.

1-21           (b)  Each county chairman of a political party with nominees

1-22     on the  general election ballot shall submit to the county election

1-23     board a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the signature

1-24     verification committee.  The county election board shall appoint

 2-1     three persons from each list to serve as  members of the committee.

 2-2     The early voting clerk also serves as a member of the committee.

 2-3           (c)  A determination under Section 87.027(i) that the

 2-4     signatures do not match must be made by majority vote of the

 2-5     committee.

 2-6           (d)  A determination made by the committee under Section

 2-7     87.027(i) is final and may not be changed by the early voting

 2-8     ballot board.

 2-9           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-10           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.