1-1     By:  Nelson                                           S.B. No. 1464
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2001; March 13, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
 1-4     April 4, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,
 1-5     Nays 0; April 4, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to signature requirements for certain petitions filed in
 1-9     connection with a candidate's application for a place on the
1-10     ballot.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 141.064, Election Code, is amended to
1-13     read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 141.064.  METHOD OF ACQUIRING SIGNATURE.  A person
1-15     circulating a petition must:
1-16                 (1)  be present when each signature is obtained [before
1-17     permitting a person to sign, point out and read to the person each
1-18     statement pertaining to the signer that appears on the petition];
1-19                 (2)  witness each signature;
1-20                 (3)  ascertain that each date of signing is correct;
1-21     and
1-22                 (4)  before the petition is filed, verify each signer's
1-23     registration status and ascertain that each registration number
1-24     entered on the petition is correct.
1-25           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 141.065, Election Code,
1-26     is amended to read as follows:
1-27           (a)  Each part of a petition must include an affidavit of the
1-28     person who circulated it stating that the person:
1-29                 (1)  was present when each signature was obtained
1-30     [pointed out and read to each signer, before the petition was
1-31     signed, each statement pertaining to the signer that appears on the
1-32     petition];
1-33                 (2)  witnessed each signature;
1-34                 (3)  verified each signer's registration status; and
1-35                 (4)  believes each signature to be genuine and the
1-36     corresponding information to be correct.
1-37           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-38                                  * * * * *