Amend HB 2817 (house committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ____. Subchapter B, Chapter 171, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 171.029 to read as follows:
Sec. 171.029. REMOVAL OF COUNTY CHAIR. (a) In this section:
(1) "Incompetency" means:
(A) gross ignorance of official duties;
(B) gross carelessness in the discharge of official duties; or
(C) unfitness or inability to promptly and properly discharge official duties because of a serious physical or mental defect that did not exist at the time of the county chair's election.
(2) "Official misconduct" means intentional, unlawful behavior relating to a county chair's official duties. The term includes an intentional or corrupt failure, refusal, or neglect of a county chair to perform an official duty.
(b) The state executive committee of a political party may call a hearing on the issue of removing the county chair for incompetency or official misconduct in response to a complaint from a member of the political party in the county from which the chair was elected.
(c) The state executive committee shall give notice to the county chair not later than the 14th day before the date of the hearing, stating the allegations of incompetency or official misconduct. At the hearing, evidence must be presented of the chair's incompetency or official misconduct, and the county chair shall have the opportunity to examine or question the evidence against the chair.
(d) After conducting the hearing and reviewing the evidence, the state executive committee shall vote on the question of the removal of the county chair. If at least three-fifths of the membership of the state executive committee finds that the county chair has demonstrated incompetency or committed official misconduct, the committee shall suspend any party rules to the extent necessary to remove the chair.
(e) The county executive committee shall fill a vacancy created by the removal of a county chair under this section as provided by Sections 171.024 and 171.025, except that the appointment must be approved by three-fifths of the membership of the state executive committee.