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.