1-1     By:  Madla                                            S.B. No. 1343

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 18, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;

 1-4     April 29, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 10,

 1-5     Nays 0; April 29, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to allowing the use of certain computerized voting

 1-9     systems.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Title 8, Election Code, is amended by adding

1-12     Chapter 128 to read as follows:

1-13                  CHAPTER 128.  COMPUTERIZED VOTING SYSTEMS

1-14           Sec. 128.001.  COMPUTERIZED VOTING SYSTEM STANDARDS.

1-15     (a)  The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to allow for

1-16     the use of a computerized voting system.  The procedures must

1-17     provide for the use of a computerized voting system with:

1-18                 (1)  multiple voting terminals for the input of vote

1-19     selections on the ballot presented by a main computer; and

1-20                 (2)  a main computer to coordinate ballot presentation,

1-21     vote selection, ballot image storage, and result tabulation.

1-22           (b)  Notwithstanding Chapter 66, a system under this section

1-23     may allow for the storage of processed ballot materials in an

1-24     electronic form on the main computer.

1-25           (c)  The secretary of state may modify existing procedures as

1-26     necessary to allow the use of a system authorized by this chapter.

1-27           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-28           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-29     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-30     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-31     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-32     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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