BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                     H.B. 2199

                                                                                                                          By: Madden (Deuell)

                                                                                                               Intergovernmental Relations

                                                                                                                                            5/21/2005

                                                                                                           Committee Report (Amended)

 

 

AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Under current law, the salary of the elections administrator and the elections 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 approximately 28 of Texas' 254 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 significant 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. 

 

H.B. 2199 repeals the provisions restricting the salary of an elections administrator.

 

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. Repealer:  Section 31.039(b) (pertaining to the salary of an elections administrator), Election Code.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date:  upon passage or September 1, 2005.

 

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

 

Committee Amendment No.__

 

Amends H.B. 2199 by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

 

SECTION __.  Amends Subtitle J, Title 6, Special District Local Laws Code, by adding Chapter 9303, as follows:

 

CHAPTER 9303.  EL PASO COUNTY WATER

IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NO. 1

 

SUBCHAPTER A.  GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

Sec. 9303.001.  DEFINITION.  Defines "district."

 

[Reserves Sections 9303.002-9303.050 for expansion.]

 

SUBCHAPTER B.  ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

 

Sec. 9303.051.  VOTER ELIGIBILITY.  (a)  Sets forth eligibility requirements for an individual to be eligible to vote in an El Paso Water Improvement District No. 1 (district) election.

 

(b)  Requires the district to file a copy of the list of the district's eligible voters with the county clerk of El Paso County not later than the 25th day before the date on which a district election is held.

 

(c)  Authorizes a person who is not on the district's eligible voters list to vote a provisional ballot, and requires such provisional ballot to be counted if the person meets the requirements of Subsection (a) above.