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.