1-1 By: Puente (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 59 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2001; 1-3 April 30, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on 1-4 Jurisprudence; May 8, 2001, reported favorably by the following 1-5 vote: Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 8, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to making a voter information guide for judicial elections 1-9 available to the public on the Internet. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Title 16, Election Code, is amended by adding 1-12 Chapter 278 to read as follows: 1-13 CHAPTER 278. VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE FOR JUDICIAL ELECTIONS 1-14 Sec. 278.001. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter 1-15 applies to each candidate whose name is to appear on the ballot or 1-16 a list of declared write-in candidates in a judicial election. 1-17 Sec. 278.002. INTERNET VOTER INFORMATION GUIDE. The 1-18 secretary of state may implement a voter information service 1-19 program to: 1-20 (1) compile information on candidates for election in 1-21 the form of a voter information guide; and 1-22 (2) make the guide available to the public on the 1-23 Internet. 1-24 Sec. 278.003. STATEMENT FILED BY CANDIDATE. If the 1-25 secretary of state implements a voter information service program, 1-26 a candidate may file with the secretary not later than the 70th day 1-27 before the date of the judicial election an informational 1-28 statement, on a form prescribed by the secretary, to be included in 1-29 the voter information guide for that election. 1-30 Sec. 278.004. STATEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) A candidate's 1-31 statement must include a summary of the following information: 1-32 (1) current occupation; 1-33 (2) educational and occupational background; 1-34 (3) biographical information; and 1-35 (4) any previous experience serving in government. 1-36 (b) The secretary of state may prescribe the format and 1-37 length of the candidate's statement. 1-38 Sec. 278.005. REVIEW BY SECRETARY OF STATE. (a) Not later 1-39 than the fifth day after the date the candidate's statement is 1-40 received, the secretary of state may review the statement to 1-41 determine whether it complies with this chapter. 1-42 (b) If the secretary of state determines that the statement 1-43 does not comply with the applicable requirements, the secretary may 1-44 reject the statement and deliver written notice of the reason for 1-45 the rejection to the candidate not later than the second day after 1-46 the date of rejection. 1-47 (c) A candidate whose statement is rejected may resubmit the 1-48 statement subject to the prescribed deadline. 1-49 Sec. 278.006. PREPARATION OF GUIDE. (a) The secretary of 1-50 state may contract for the preparation of the voter information 1-51 guide after soliciting bids for that work. The secretary may 1-52 prepare the guide if the secretary determines that the costs of 1-53 that preparation are less than or equal to the most reasonable bid 1-54 submitted. 1-55 (b) The voter information guide must include the candidates' 1-56 statements that comply with this chapter, with candidates for 1-57 election and write-in candidates for election as separate groups. 1-58 The order of the candidates' names within the groups is determined 1-59 by a drawing conducted by the secretary of state. 1-60 (c) The secretary of state may prescribe appropriate 1-61 explanatory material to be included in the voter information guide 1-62 to assist the voters, including a statement that the guide may be 1-63 used at the polls to assist the voters in marking their ballots. 1-64 Sec. 278.007. AVAILABILITY OF GUIDE. If the secretary of 2-1 state implements a voter information service program, the secretary 2-2 may make the voter information guide available to the public on the 2-3 Internet not later than the 45th day before the date of each 2-4 judicial election. 2-5 Sec. 278.008. ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES. The secretary of state 2-6 may prescribe any additional procedures necessary to implement this 2-7 chapter. 2-8 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 2-9 * * * * *