BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1145

By: Brown, Betty

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, election judges and alternate judges are appointed by the county commissioners court from a list provided by the county chairman of a political party. A newly elected county chairman takes office in the beginning of May and must address a number of issues immediately after taking office. One of these immediate tasks involves the appointment of election judges and alternate election judges. 

C.S.H.B. 1145 grants an additional 30 days for the appointment of election judges and alternate election judges in a county with a population of 500,000 or less.

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. 1145 amends the Election Code to change from July to August the term of a county commissioners court at which the court must appoint the election judges for each regular county election precinct in a county with a population of 500,000 or less, and changes the date on which the term begins for an election judge in such a county from August 1 to September 1 following the appointment. The bill changes from July to August of each year the month by which the county chair of a political party whose candidate for governor received the highest or second highest number of votes in the county in the most recent gubernatorial general election is required to submit in writing to the commissioners court a list of names of persons in order of preference for each precinct who are eligible for appointment as an election judge in a county with a population of 500,000 or less. The bill provides for the expiration of the term of a judge serving on the effective date of the bill.

EFFECTIVE DATE

January 1, 2010.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1145 differs from the original by making its provisions applicable to a county with a population of 500,000 or less, whereas the original applies its provisions to for all counties.