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.