BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 719
79R11802 ATP-D By: Jones, Jesse (West)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
In order to provide for publication of voting rights information, including the number for the state-monitored voting rights hotline, H.B. 719 requires notices to be posted in a form and content as prescribed by the secretary of state to accurately reflect the current law regarding voters' rights.
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 telephone number (for the voting rights hotline) 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 during the early voting period and on election day for each election held on a uniform election date. Deletes existing text requiring the secretary of state to prescribe the form for the notice under this subsection.
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 certain specified ways.
(b) Sets forth the required contents of the notice, except as revised by the secretary of state under Subsection (d).
(c) Sets forth additional information the notice is required to contain.
(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. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2005.