C.S.S.B. 197 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.S.B. 197
By: Staples
Elections
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the voter registrar is required to deliver a
confirmation notice to a voter whose registration has been challenged
based on residency.  Voters who rely on mail-forwarding services in order
to receive mail after moving or when out of town need additional time to
respond to a voter registration challenge.  If a voter is challenged close
to an election, the voter may not have sufficient time to receive and
respond to the challenge, resulting in a cancellation of the voter's vote.
CSSB 197 places a deadline for the registrar to deliver a confirmation
notice to a voter whose registration is challenged based on residency. 


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 


ANALYSIS

CSSB 197 amends the Election Code by prohibiting the voter registrar from
delivering a confirmation notice resulting from a sworn statement
challenging a voter's registration based on residency filed after the 75th
day before the date of the general election for state and county officers
(election) until after the date of that election.  The bill provides that
this prohibition does not apply to a person who registers after the 75th
day and prior to the 30th day before an election. 


EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2003.


COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

CSSB 197 modifies the original by specifying that the deadline for
delivering a confirmation notice resulting from a challenge of a voter's
registration based on residency relates to the general election for state
and county officers, rather than to an election generally.