By Danburg                                            H.B. No. 1548
         76R582 DRH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the deadline for filing an application for a place on
 1-3     the ballot, or for nomination by a convention, by an incumbent
 1-4     officeholder.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 142.006, Election Code, is amended by
 1-7     amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
 1-8     follows:
 1-9           (a)  An application for a place on the ballot must be filed
1-10     not later than 5 p.m. of the 30th day after runoff primary election
1-11     day, except as provided by Subsection (c) and Section 202.007.
1-12           (c)  An application for a place on the ballot by a person who
1-13     holds the office for which the application is made must be filed
1-14     not later than 5  p.m. of the 27th day after runoff primary
1-15     election day.
1-16           SECTION 2.  Section 143.007, Election Code, is amended by
1-17     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
1-18           (c)  An application for a place on the ballot by a person who
1-19     holds the office for which the application is made must be filed
1-20     not later than 5  p.m. of the 42nd day before election day.
1-21           SECTION 3.  Section 144.005, Election Code, is amended by
1-22     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
1-23           (c)  An application for a place on the ballot by a person who
1-24     holds the office for which the application is made must be filed
 2-1     not later than 5  p.m. of the 42nd day before election day.
 2-2           SECTION 4.  Section 172.023, Election Code, is amended by
 2-3     amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
 2-4     follows:    
 2-5           (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), an [An]
 2-6     application for a place on the general primary election ballot must
 2-7     be filed not later  than 6 p.m. on January 2 in the primary
 2-8     election year unless the filing deadline is extended under
 2-9     Subchapter C.
2-10           (c)  An application for a place on the general primary
2-11     election ballot by a person who holds the office for which the
2-12     application is made must  be filed not later than 6 p.m. on
2-13     December 30 in the year preceding the primary election year.
2-14           SECTION 5.  Section 181.033, Election Code, is amended to
2-15     read as follows:
2-16           Sec. 181.033.  FILING DEADLINE.  (a)  Except as provided by
2-17     Subsection (b) or (c), an application for nomination by a
2-18     convention must be filed not later than 5 p.m. on January 2
2-19     preceding the convention.
2-20           (b)  An application under Subsection (a)  by a person who
2-21     holds the office for which the application is made must be filed
2-22     not later than 6 p.m. on December 30 in the year preceding the year
2-23     the convention is to be held.
2-24           (c)  A political party by rule may extend the filing deadline
2-25     for applications for nomination for an office for which a candidate
2-26     who has  made an application withdraws, dies, or is declared
2-27     ineligible.
 3-1           SECTION 6.  Section 11.055, Education Code, is amended by
 3-2     amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
 3-3     follows:
 3-4           (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), an [An]
 3-5     application of a candidate for a place on the ballot must be filed
 3-6     not later than 5 p.m. of the 45th day before the date of the
 3-7     election.  An application may not be filed earlier than the 30th
 3-8     day before the date of the filing deadline.
 3-9           (c)  An application for a place on the ballot by a person who
3-10     holds the office for which the application is made must be filed
3-11     not later than 5 p.m.  of the 42nd day before election day.
3-12           SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-13           SECTION 8.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.