By:  Denny (Senate Sponsor - Staples)                             H.B. No. 2149
	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 28, 2003; 
May 1, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on State 
Affairs; May 20, 2003, reported favorably by the following vote:  
Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 20, 2003, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to notice of, and disclosure of information about, an 
investigation of criminal conduct in connection with an election.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 273.001, Election Code, is amended by 
adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
	(e)  Not later than the 30th day after the date on which a 
county or district attorney begins an investigation under this 
section, the county or district attorney shall deliver notice of 
the investigation to the secretary of state.  The notice must 
include a statement that a criminal investigation is being 
conducted and the date on which the election that is the subject of 
the investigation was held.  The secretary of state may disclose 
information relating to a criminal investigation received under 
this subsection only if the county or district attorney has 
disclosed the information or would be required by law to disclose 
the information.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           



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