SRC-BWC S.B. 234 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 234
77R202 DRH-DBy: Harris
State Affairs
1/17/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Texas primary election, including the presidential primary,
is held on the second Tuesday in March.  Since Texas passed this law, 15
other states have scheduled their presidential primaries for the first
Tuesday in March.  During the most recent presidential primary, the
Republican and Democratic presidential nominees were effectively chosen
before Texans had an opportunity to vote.  As proposed, S.B. 234 would move
the primary election date to the first Tuesday in March. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the secretary of state in
SECTION 4 of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 41.007(a), (b), and (c), Election Code, by
providing that the general primary election date is the first, rather than
the second, Tuesday in March in each even-numbered year.  Makes conforming
changes. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 172.023(a), Election Code, by requiring an
application for a place on the general primary election ballot to be filed
not later than 6 p.m. on December 2, rather than January 2, in the year
before the primary election year unless the filing deadline is extended
under Subchapter C. 

SECTION 3.  Provides that the term of a person who is serving as a county
or precinct chair of a political party on the effective date of this Act
ends on the 20th day after the first Tuesday in April 2004. 

SECTION 4.  Requires the secretary of state by rule to modify applicable
procedures, dates, and deadlines in the Election Code to implement the
changes in primary election dates made by this Act. 

SECTION 5.  Effective date:  September 1, 2003.