BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 360

By: Jackson, Jim

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law allows a local taxing entity to write proposed ballot language for a proposition to issue bonds or impose or increase a tax that obscures the intended use for the additional funding being requested.  C.S.H.B. 360 requires such ballot language to state the total dollar amount of bonds to be issued or the amount of the tax or tax rate increase being proposed and any projects to be supported by the bonds.

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. 360 amends the Election Code to expand the requirements for a proposition that is to appear on a ballot, including a provision prescribing the proposition language, to specify that a proposition allowing the voters to approve the imposition or increase of a tax or the issuance of bonds is required to specifically state, as applicable, the total dollar amount of bonds that will be issued or the amount of the tax or tax rate increase and, in plain language and in not more than three sentences, any projects to be supported by the bonds.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 360 contains a provision not included in the original requiring the plain language statement describing any projects to be supported by bonds required to be included in the proposition for voter approval for the issuance of the bonds to be not more than three sentences.