BILL ANALYSIS
By: Denny
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Legislation enacted during the 78th regular legislative session raised the general primary filing fee for candidates for all offices. This bill also included the filing fee for county clerk, county tax assessor-collector, sheriff, and county treasurer in the fee bracket for county commissioner or judge, constitutional county court. District clerks, whose duties are similar to those of county clerks, were left off of this group of officials, and their filing fee remained at a lower amount prescribed for "other offices" of the county government. The Texas District Court Alliance, on behalf of district clerks, requested that this oversight be corrected and that their fee be linked to the fee for other county officials, such as county clerks and county tax assessor-collectors. House Bill 1163 sets the filing fee for district clerks to correspond with the fee for these offices.
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
House Bill 1163 amends the Election Code by increasing the filing fee for candidates for nomination in the general primary for district clerk in a county with a population greater than 200,000 to $1,250, from $750. The filing fee for district clerk in a county with a population less than 200,000 remains $750.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2005.