SRC-JBJ S.B. 418 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 418
77R4896 PAM-DBy: Staples
State Affairs
2/7/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, some election judges are experiencing difficulty staffing
election clerks to serve during any given election, while at the same time,
efforts have been seen across the county to increase young voter
participation in elections.  As proposed, S.B. 418 gives election judges
the ability to appoint student election clerks who meet certain criteria. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 32.033, Election Code, by amending Subsection
(a) and adding Subsection (d), as follows: 

(a)  Requires the authority that appoints the election judge to prescribe
the maximum number of clerks that each presiding judge is authorized to
appoint for each election, except as provided by Subsection (d). 

(d)  Authorizes a presiding judge to appoint no more than two student
election clerks for each election. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 32.051(c), Election Code, to provide an
exception to the eligibility requirements for serving as a clerk of an
election precinct. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Chapter 32C, Election Code, by adding Section 32.0511,
as follows: 

Sec. 32.0511.  SPECIAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: STUDENT CLERKS.  (a)
Defines "educational institution" and "student."   

(b)  Provides that a student who is ineligible to serve as a clerk of an
election precinct under Section 32.051(c) is eligible to serve as a clerk
of an election precinct under this section if the student meets certain
specific criteria. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Section 32.072(a), Election Code, to prohibit a
presiding judge from assigning a student election clerk to a counting team
for the purpose of tallying votes. 

SECTION 5.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.