SRC-LBB, JEC C.S.H.B. 1517 78(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.H.B. 1517
78R14141 ATP-DBy: Jones, Jesse (West)
State Affairs
5/20/2003
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

The secretary of state currently operates a telephone hotline concerning
voters' rights.  However, voters may be unaware of the hotline's
existence.  C.S.H.B. 1517 requires the publication of information about
voters' rights along with the telephone number of the hotline. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the secretary of state in
SECTION 2 (Section 62.0115, Election Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 31.0055(b), Election Code, to require a notice
informing voters of the voting rights hotline telephone number and the
purpose for the number to be included in the notice of voters' rights
publicized under Section 62.0115, rather than continuously posted in a
prominent location at each polling place.  Deletes a requirement that the
secretary of state prescribe the form for the notice. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Chapter 62, Election Code, by adding Section 62.0115,
as follows: 

Sec. 62.0115.  PUBLIC NOTICE OF VOTERS' RIGHTS.  (a)  Requires the
secretary of state to adopt rules providing for publicizing voters' rights
as prescribed by this section. Requires the rules to require that a notice
of those rights be publicized in a certain manner. 

(b)  Requires the notice, except as revised by the secretary of state
under Subsection (d), to state that a voter has certain specified rights. 

(c)  Requires the notice to also state certain other information.

(d)  Requires the secretary of state to prescribe the form and content of
the notice in accordance with this section.  Requires the secretary of
state to revise the content of the notice as necessary to ensure that the
notice accurately reflects the law in effect at the time the notice is
publicized. 

SECTION 3.   Effective date:  September 1, 2003.
  Makes application of this Act prospective.