SRC-BWC C.S.S.B. 1311 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.S.B. 1311
By: Staples
State Affairs
4-10-2001
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Many individuals rely on mail-forwarding services in order to receive their
mail in an efficient, reliable, and timely manner.  It often will take an
additional amount of time for an individual to respond to registration
challenge, considering the process by which the individual receives his or
her mail through the mail-forwarding service.  At times, a voter will not
have enough time to receive and respond to the notice sent by the registrar
if sent too close to the time of an election.  This places an unfair burden
on the voter to prove his or her residence.  C.S.S.B. 1311 limits the
amount of time a voter has to challenge to 75 days before an election,
thereby passing the burden to the challenging voter. 

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 16.0921, Election Code, to prohibit a voter's
registration as to a particular election from being challenged on the basis
of residence after the 75th day before election day.  Prohibits a registrar
from delivering a confirmation notice to such a voter until after election
day. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

SECTION 1.  Differs from As Filed version by changing from 120 to 75 the
number of days before election day as the final day that a voter's
registration can be challenged. 

SECTION 2.  Differs from As Filed version by adding a new effective clause.