By:  Nelson                                           S.B. No. 1464
         2001S0705/1                            
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to signature requirements for certain petitions filed in
 1-3     connection with a candidate's application for a place on the
 1-4     ballot.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 141.064, Election Code, is amended to
 1-7     read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 141.064.  METHOD OF ACQUIRING SIGNATURE.  A person
 1-9     circulating a petition must:
1-10                 (1)  be present when each signature is obtained [before
1-11     permitting a person to sign, point out and read to the person each
1-12     statement pertaining to the signer that appears on the petition];
1-13                 (2)  witness each signature;
1-14                 (3)  ascertain that each date of signing is correct;
1-15     and
1-16                 (4)  before the petition is filed, verify each signer's
1-17     registration status and ascertain that each registration number
1-18     entered on the petition is correct.
1-19           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 141.065, Election Code,
1-20     is amended to read as follows:
1-21           (a)  Each part of a petition must include an affidavit of the
1-22     person who circulated it stating that the person:
1-23                 (1)  was present when each signature was obtained
1-24     [pointed out and read to each signer, before the petition was
1-25     signed, each statement pertaining to the signer that appears on the
 2-1     petition];
 2-2                 (2)  witnessed each signature;
 2-3                 (3)  verified each signer's registration status; and
 2-4                 (4)  believes each signature to be genuine and the
 2-5     corresponding information to be correct.
 2-6           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.