By Madden                                             H.B. No. 1577
         76R6407 DRH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the period for early voting by personal appearance.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Sections 85.001(a) and (b), Election Code, are
 1-5     amended to read as follows:
 1-6           (a)  The period for early voting by personal appearance
 1-7     begins on the 10th [17th] day before election day and continues
 1-8     through the fourth day before election day, except as otherwise
 1-9     provided by this section.
1-10           (b)  For the general election for state and county officers,
1-11     an election held on the same day as the general election for state
1-12     and county officers, and the general [a special runoff election for
1-13     the office of state senator or state representative or for a
1-14     runoff] primary election, the period begins on the 17th [10th] day
1-15     before election day.
1-16           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-17           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.