79R4425 JRJ-F

By:  Baxter                                                       H.B. No. 1721



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to eligibility of voters to sign ballot access petitions.            
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 141.064, Election Code, is amended to 
read as follows:   
	Sec. 141.064.  METHOD OF ACQUIRING SIGNATURE.  (a) A person 
circulating a petition must:
		(1)  before permitting a person to sign, point out and 
read to the person each statement pertaining to the signer that 
appears on the petition;
		(2)  witness each signature;                                                  
		(3)  ascertain that each date of signing is correct; 
and                    
		(4)  before the petition is filed, verify each signer's 
registration status and ascertain that each registration number 
entered on the petition is correct.
	(b)  A person circulating a petition may only collect 
signatures for one political party or independent candidate during 
a voting year.
	SECTION 2.  Section 172.026, Election Code, is amended to 
read as follows:   
	Sec. 172.026.  RESTRICTION ON PETITION SIGNER.  (a) On 
signing a petition to be filed under Section 172.021, the signer 
becomes ineligible to vote in a primary election or participate in a 
convention of another political party during the voting year in 
which the primary election is held.
	(b)  This section does not prohibit the signer of a petition 
to be filed under Section 172.021 from signing a petition under 
Section 181.006 or 182.004 during the same voting year.
	SECTION 3.  Sections 181.006(f), (i), and (j), Election 
Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(f)  The following statement must appear at the top of each 
page of the petition:  "I know that the purpose of this petition is 
to entitle the _______ (name of political party) Party to have its 
nominees placed on the ballot in the _________ (year of general 
election) general election for state and county officers.  [I have 
not voted in a primary election or participated in a convention of 
another party during this voting year, and I understand that I 
become ineligible to do so by signing this petition.  I understand 
that signing more than one petition to entitle a party to have its 
nominees placed on the general election ballot in the same election 
is prohibited.]"  Listing the name of more than one political party 
in the blank on the top of a page of the petition invalidates the 
signatures on that page.
	(i)  Signing a [On signing the] petition is not considered an 
act of affiliation with the party circulating[, the person becomes 
ineligible to affiliate with another party during the voting year 
in which] the petition [is signed].
	(j)  The petition may not be circulated before the voting 
year of the election for which the party seeks to qualify to have 
its nominees placed on the ballot [until after the date of the 
party's precinct conventions held under this chapter].  A signature 
obtained [on or] before that voting year [date] is invalid.
	SECTION 4.  Section 182.004(f), Election Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
	(f)  Sections 181.006(f), (i), and (j) [181.006(f)-(j)] 
apply to a petition circulated under this section.
	SECTION 5.  Sections 181.006(g) and (h), Election Code, are 
repealed.        
	SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.