1-1     By:  Brown                                             S.B. No. 817
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 2, 1999; March 4, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
 1-4     March 29, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,
 1-5     Nays 0; March 29, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to certain ballot security procedures.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Election Code, is
1-11     amended by adding Section 31.0061 to read as follows:
1-12           Sec. 31.0061.  INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINT BY DEPARTMENT OF
1-13     PUBLIC SAFETY.  After receiving a complaint alleging criminal
1-14     conduct in connection with an election, the secretary of state may
1-15     direct the Department of Public Safety to conduct an investigation
1-16     of the complaint.  At the conclusion of its investigation, the
1-17     department shall report to the secretary with the results of the
1-18     investigation.
1-19           SECTION 2.  Section 127.034, Election Code, is amended by
1-20     adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
1-21           (e)  Removal, sorting, or counting of ballots under this
1-22     section may not occur until after the polling place is closed for
1-23     voting.
1-24           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-25           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-28     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-29     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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