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.