HBA-TBM H.B. 3229 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3229 By: Craddick County Affairs 3/25/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, a write-in candidate for the position of director of the Midland County Hospital District (district) must file a declaration of candidacy with the secretary of the board of directors of the district not later than the 30th day before election day. The deadline may not provide an adequate length of time for the voting public to become informed about the candidate. House Bill 3229 revises the write-in candidacy declaration deadline from the 30th day before election day to the 40th day, and provides similar deadline revisions for a write-in candidacy declaration if a candidate whose name is to appear on the ballot dies or is declared ineligible. 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 House Bill 3229 amends law to provide that a declaration for write-in candidacy for director of the Midland County Hospital District must be filed with the secretary of the board of directors not later than 5 p.m. of the 40th rather than 30th day before the election day. However, if a candidate whose name is to appear on the ballot dies or is declared ineligible after the 43rd rather than 33rd day before election day, a declaration of write-in candidacy for the office is authorized to be filed not later than 5 p.m. of the 37th rather than 27th day before election day. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001.