1-1     By:  Shapiro                                           S.B. No. 971
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 1999; March 9, 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 participation by counties in an electronic voting pilot
 1-9     project for military voters.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Chapter 105, Election Code, as added by Chapter
1-12     1349, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, is
1-13     amended by adding Section 105.003 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 105.003.  INTERNET VOTING PILOT PROJECT.  (a)  Any
1-15     county selected by the United States Department of Defense may
1-16     participate in a federal voting assistance program pilot project to
1-17     allow members of the armed forces of the United States to cast
1-18     votes electronically.
1-19           (b)  This section expires January 1, 2003.
1-20           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-25     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-26     passage, and it is so enacted.
1-27                                  * * * * *