By Puente                                              H.B. No. 866
         76R2589 DRH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to determining the residence address of a candidate for
 1-3     public office.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Tax Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Section 11.4315 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 11.4315.  EXAMINATION OF RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF CANDIDATE
 1-8     FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.   (a)  When a chief appraiser receives a report
 1-9     of the name and residence address of a candidate under Section
1-10     141.032(g), Election Code, the chief appraiser shall inspect the
1-11     appraisal records to determine whether the candidate has claimed a
1-12     residence homestead exemption under Section 11.13 of this code.  If
1-13     the candidate has claimed a residence homestead exemption at an
1-14     address different from the address stated on the candidate's
1-15     application filed under Section 141.032, Election Code, the chief
1-16     appraiser shall take any action necessary to determine the actual
1-17     residence address of the candidate.
1-18           (b)  If the chief appraiser determines that the residence
1-19     address on the candidate's application filed under the Election
1-20     Code is not the actual residence address of the candidate, the
1-21     chief appraiser shall, not later than the 20th day after the date
1-22     the chief appraiser receives a report under this section, send a
1-23     written notice of that determination to the authority with whom the
1-24     candidate filed the application under the Election Code.  If the
 2-1     chief appraiser is unable to determine the actual residence address
 2-2     by that date, the chief appraiser shall indicate that fact in the
 2-3     notice.
 2-4           (c)  On receipt of notice of a determination made under
 2-5     Subsection (b), the authority with whom the application was filed
 2-6     shall attach a copy of the determination to the application.
 2-7           SECTION 2.  Section 141.032, Election Code, is amended by
 2-8     adding Subsection (g) to read as follows:
 2-9           (g)  Not later than the 10th day after the date the
2-10     application is filed, the authority shall send a report of the name
2-11     of each candidate and the candidate's residence address or the
2-12     location of the candidate's residence stated on the application as
2-13     required by Section 141.031(4)(I) to the chief appraiser of the
2-14     appraisal district of the county in which the residence is located.
2-15           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-16           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.