BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2401

By: Keffer

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law exempts an employee of a county elections administrator in a county with a population of one million or less from certain restrictions on political activities.  However, the security and integrity of elections still must be maintained in smaller counties and in fact, the necessity of doing so is even greater in such counties because the elections administrator's staff is smaller and it is therefore more difficult to separate and isolate candidates from secure information.

H.B. 2401 removes the provision that limits the prohibition on  political activities by a full-time employee of a county elections administrator only to counties with a population of one million or more that have such an administrator.

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

H.B. 2401 amends the Election Code to remove a provision that limits the prohibition on political activities of a person employed on a full-time basis by a county elections administrator to counties with a population of one million or more that have an election administrator.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.