BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center                                                                                                 C.S.S.B. 427

79R9048 DRH-D                                                                                                   By: Van de Putte

State Affairs

3/14/2005

Committee Report (Substituted)

AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Currently, the Texas Election Code does not require any school district, junior college district or other political subdivision to notify the voter registrar of any boundary changes.  This presents a problem when a county discovers immediately before an election that jurisdiction boundary changes have been made.  This opens the door to potential legal challenges if voting precincts have to be changed and there is insufficient time to conduct appropriate hearings and submit required documents to the county commissioners court and to the United States Department of Justice for pre-clearance.

C.S.S.B. 427 requires the governing body of any political subdivision to notify the voter registrar of any internal and external boundary changes, including changes to single-member districts or annexations.

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 Subchapter C, Chapter 42, Election Code, by adding Section 42.0615, as follows:

            Sec. 42.0615. NOTICE TO REGISTRAR OF BOUNDARY CHANGE OF POLITICAL             SUBDIVISION.  Requires the members of the governing body of a political subdivision to notify the county voter registrar of specific changes to its boundaries or to the            boundaries of districts used to elect members to the governing body.

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2005.