SRC-LBB H.B. 296 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 296 78R1531 DRH-FBy: Goodman (Harris) State Affairs 4/29/2003 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Current law allows a candidate for the Texas Supreme Court or the Court of Criminal Appeals to either pay a filing fee (presently $3,000) or file a petition with a minimum number of signatures (presently 5,000). H.B. 296 requires a candidate for either court who chooses to pay the filing fee to also submit a petition with 50 signatures from each court of appeals district. 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 172.021, Election Code, by adding Subsection (g) to require a candidate for the office of chief justice or justice, supreme court, or presiding judge or judge, court of criminal appeals, who chooses to pay the filing fee to also accompany the application with a petition that complies with the requirements prescribed for a petition authorized by Subsection (b), except that the minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition required by this subsection is 50 from each court of appeals district. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2003.