1-1 By: Patterson S.B. No. 1090 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 1997; March 12, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; 1-4 April 11, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8, 1-5 Nays 5; April 11, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to a signature verification committee in the general 1-9 election for state and county officers. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 87.027, Election Code, is 1-12 amended to read as follows: 1-13 (a) A signature verification committee may be appointed in 1-14 any election. The early voting clerk is the authority responsible 1-15 for determining whether a signature verification committee is to be 1-16 appointed. If the clerk determines that a committee is to be 1-17 appointed, the clerk shall issue a written order calling for the 1-18 appointment. Section 87.0271 supersedes this section to the extent 1-19 of a conflict. 1-20 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 87, Election Code, is 1-21 amended by adding Section 87.0271 to read as follows: 1-22 Sec. 87.0271. COMMITTEE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIC TO GENERAL 1-23 ELECTION FOR STATE AND COUNTY OFFICERS. (a) A signature 1-24 verification committee shall be appointed in the general election 1-25 for state and county officers. Except as provided by this section, 1-26 Section 87.027 applies to the committee. 1-27 (b) Each county chairman of a political party with nominees 1-28 on the general election ballot shall submit to the county election 1-29 board a list of names of persons eligible to serve on the signature 1-30 verification committee. The county election board shall appoint 1-31 three persons from each list to serve as members of the committee. 1-32 The early voting clerk also serves as a member of the committee. 1-33 (c) A determination under Section 87.027(i) that the 1-34 signatures do not match must be made by majority vote of the 1-35 committee. 1-36 (d) A determination made by the committee under Section 1-37 87.027(i) is final and may not be changed by the early voting 1-38 ballot board. 1-39 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-40 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-41 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-42 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-43 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-44 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-45 * * * * *