BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                     H.B. 1509

79R6256 JRJ-D                                                                                       By: Denny (Jackson, Mike)

State Affairs

5/13/2005

Engrossed

AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Under current law, certain candidates are required to file a petition in connection with their application for a place on the ballot.  These include independent candidates and candidates in a primary election who choose not to pay the filing fee.  These petitions must include a required number of registered voter signatures.   To be valid, current law requires the signatures to be accompanied, among other things, by the signers' dates of birth and voter registration numbers.  State and federal court cases have recently held that petitions can require date of birth or voter registration number, but not both, for the purposes of validating the petition signatures.  H.B. 1509 makes this change to codify the judicial holdings.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 141.063(a), Election Code, to provide that a signature on a petition [for a candidate's application for a place on the ballot] is valid if certain requirements are met, including that the petition includes the signer's date of birth or, rather than and, the signer's voter registration number. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  September 1, 2005.