By Cuellar                                              H.B. No. 59
         76R13999 PAM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to making a voter information guide for judicial elections
 1-3     available to the public on the Internet.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Title 16, Election Code, is amended by adding
 1-6     Chapter 278 to read as follows:
 1-7        CHAPTER 278.  VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE FOR JUDICIAL ELECTIONS
 1-8           Sec. 278.001.  APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER.  This chapter
 1-9     applies to each candidate whose name is to appear on the ballot or
1-10     a list of declared write-in candidates in a judicial election.
1-11           Sec. 278.002.  INTERNET VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE.  The
1-12     secretary of state may implement a voter information service
1-13     program to:
1-14                 (1)  compile information on candidates for election in
1-15     the form of a voter information guide; and
1-16                 (2)  make the guide available to the public on the
1-17     Internet.
1-18           Sec. 278.003.  STATEMENT FILED BY CANDIDATE.  If the
1-19     secretary of state implements a voter information service program,
1-20     a candidate may file with the secretary not later than the 70th day
1-21     before the date of the judicial election an informational
1-22     statement, on a form prescribed by the secretary, to be included in
1-23     the voter information guide for that election.
1-24           Sec. 278.004.  STATEMENT REQUIREMENTS.  (a)  A candidate's
 2-1     statement must include a summary of the following information:
 2-2                 (1)  current occupation;
 2-3                 (2)  educational and occupational background;
 2-4                 (3)  biographical information; and
 2-5                 (4)  any previous experience serving in government.
 2-6           (b)  The secretary of state may prescribe the format and
 2-7     length of the candidate's statement.
 2-8           Sec. 278.005.  REVIEW BY SECRETARY OF STATE.  (a)  Not later
 2-9     than the fifth day after the date the candidate's statement is
2-10     received, the secretary of state may review the statement to
2-11     determine whether it complies with this chapter.
2-12           (b)  If the secretary of state determines that the statement
2-13     does not comply with the applicable requirements, the secretary may
2-14     reject the statement and deliver written notice of the reason for
2-15     the rejection to the candidate not later than the second day after
2-16     the date of rejection.
2-17           (c)  A candidate whose statement is rejected may resubmit the
2-18     statement subject to the prescribed deadline.
2-19           Sec. 278.006.  PREPARATION OF GUIDE.  (a)  The secretary of
2-20     state may contract for the preparation of the voter information
2-21     guide after soliciting bids for that work.  The secretary may
2-22     prepare the guide if the secretary determines that the costs of
2-23     that preparation are less than or equal to the most reasonable bid
2-24     submitted.
2-25           (b)  The voter information guide must include the candidates'
2-26     statements that comply with this chapter, with candidates for
2-27     election and write-in candidates for election as separate groups.
 3-1     The order of the candidates' names within the groups is determined
 3-2     by a drawing conducted by the secretary of state.
 3-3           (c)  The secretary of state may prescribe appropriate
 3-4     explanatory material to be included in the voter information guide
 3-5     to assist the voters, including a statement that the guide may be
 3-6     used at the polls to assist the voters in marking their ballots.
 3-7           Sec. 278.007.  AVAILABILITY OF GUIDE.  If the secretary of
 3-8     state implements a voter information service program, the secretary
 3-9     may make the voter information guide available to the public on the
3-10     Internet not later than the 45th day before the date of each
3-11     judicial election.
3-12           Sec. 278.008.  ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES.  The secretary of state
3-13     may prescribe any additional procedures necessary to implement this
3-14     chapter.
3-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-16           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.