BILL ANALYSIS
By: Herrero
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Election Code currently requires that independent school districts hold their elections on either May or November uniform election dates. During the 79th Legislative Session, additional requirements were placed on independent school district elections in the Education Code, which required elections for trustee's to be held in conjunction with either a municipality in which the school district is located or with the general election for state and county officers. The Election Code further allows the City of Corpus Christi to hold an election for municipal officers on any Saturday in April in odd-numbered years; therefore, school districts within Corpus Christi are unable to hold their elections with the municipality because the city election is not held on a uniform election date. In other words, the product of these code requirements limits independent school districts within the municipality of Corpus Christie to only one possible election date in November. C.S.H.B. 945 exempts the independent school districts located within Corpus Christi from Section 11.0581 of the Education Code, which places the requirement on school districts to hold their elections in conjunction with a municipality of the general election for state and county officers. By doing so, this allows school districts in Corpus Christi to have an option of a second election date, regardless if any other political subdivision is holding an election.
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
C.S.H.B. 945 amends the Election Code to provide that an independent school district located wholly or partly within certain costal cities authorized to have a general election in April under the Election Code is not required to hold its elections on the same date as another political subdivision as provided by §11.0581, Education Code.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 945 allows independent school districts within the City of Corpus Christi to hold their elections on either May or November, regardless of whether any other political subdivision is holding an election. H.B. 945 allowed the school districts within Corpus Christi to hold their election on the same date as a joint election with the City of Corpus Christi. The committee substitute also removes SECTION 2 of the original bill and renumbers the bill accordingly.