HBA-JEK C.S.H.B. 672 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 672
By: Wilson
Elections
3/25/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The minimum voting age under current law is 18 years of age.  C.S.H.B. 672
requires that a nonbinding referendum be submitted to the voters on the
question of whether the minimum voting age in this state should be lowered
to 16 years of age. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 672 requires the submission of a nonbinding referendum to the
voters on November 6, 2001 regarding the question of whether the minimum
voting age in the state should be lowered to 16 years of age. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 672 differs from the original by requiring the submission of a
nonbinding referendum to the voters on the question of whether to lower the
voting age to 16, whereas the original bill lowered the minimum voting age
to 14 by amending the Election Code.  

The substitute removes the provision in the original that prohibited a
parent from accompanying to the voting station a voting child under the age
of 18.