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By:  Denny (Senate Sponsor - Staples)                             H.B. No. 1696
	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 14, 2003; 
April 15, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on State 
Affairs; May 22, 2003, reported adversely, with favorable 
Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; 
May 22, 2003, sent to printer.)


COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1696                                   By:  Staples


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the hours of service of a poll watcher on election day.         
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 33.052(a), Election Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
	[(a)]  A watcher at a precinct polling place may begin 
service at any time after the presiding judge arrives at the polling 
place on election day and may remain at the polling place until the 
presiding judge and the clerks complete their duties there.  A 
watcher that serves for more than five continuous hours may serve at 
the polling place during the hours the watcher chooses, except that 
if the watcher is present at the polling place when ballots are 
counted, the watcher may not leave until the counting is complete
[may not be accepted for service unless the watcher is present at 
the time the polls are opened for voting].
	SECTION 2.  Sections 33.052(b), (c), (d), and (e), Election 
Code, are repealed.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           



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