By:  Bohac (Senate Sponsor - Lindsay)                             H.B. No. 1580
	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 16, 2005; 
May 17, 2005, read first time and referred to Committee on State 
Affairs; May 20, 2005, reported favorably by the following vote:  
Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 20, 2005, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the period for preserving precinct election records.            
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Sections 66.058(a) and (g), Election Code, are 
amended to read as follows:
	(a)  Except as otherwise provided by this code, the precinct 
election records shall be preserved by the authority to whom they 
are distributed for at least 22 months [60 days] after election day.
	(g)  For the preservation of [The] precinct election records 
in an election involving a federal office, the [shall be preserved 
by the authority to whom they are distributed for at least 22 months 
after election day in accordance with federal law.  The] secretary 
of state shall instruct the affected authorities on the actions 
necessary for compliance with federal law.
	SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to the 
preservation of precinct election records for an election held on 
or after the effective date of this Act.  The preservation of 
precinct election records for an election held before the effective 
date of this Act is governed by the law immediately in effect before 
the effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in 
effect for that purpose.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.                           



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