BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                           H.B. 2199

                                                                                                                                        By: Madden

                                                                                                                                             Elections

                                                                                                       Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Under current law, the salary of the Elections Administrator and the Election Administrator's staff may not exceed that of the County Clerk or the County Clerk's staff, respectively.  The Elections Administrator is responsible for both the conduct of the elections as well as all voter registration activities in about 28 of 254 Texas counties.  Almost all of the remaining counties separate such duties between the County Clerk and the Tax Assessor-Collector.  In addition, the Elections Administrator is also a Department Head and may have greater budgetary and operational authority and responsibilities.  As such, some believe that the salary of the Elections Administrator should not be limited by the salary of the County Clerk.  House Bill 2199 repeals the provisions restricting the salary of an Elections Administrator.

 

 

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 2199 amends the Election Code by repealing the provision that prohibits the salary of an elections administrator from exceeding the salary paid to the county clerk, and prohibits the salaries paid to the administrator's employees from exceeding the salaries paid to the employees of the county clerk in comparable positions.

 

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or if the Act does not receive a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house, September 1, 2005.