BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1136

By: Aycock

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerned parties report that an election authority may sometimes fail to notify the county chair of each political party about meetings called by the election authority to discuss business relating to an upcoming election. C.S.H.B. 1136 seeks to address this concern by requiring election authorities to meet certain notification requirements in connection with such meetings.

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. 1136 amends the Election Code to require each election authority to deliver written notice of the time and place of any meeting called by the election authority for the purpose of discussing business related to an upcoming primary, runoff, or general election not later than 72 hours before the meeting date to the county chair of each political party that made nominations by primary election for the general election for state and county officers preceding the date of the meeting. The bill authorizes the required notice to be delivered by United States mail, e-mail, or other method of written communication, as determined by the election authority. The bill defines "election authority" to mean the county clerk or secretary of the governing body of a political subdivision other than a county or city or the authority performing the duties of a secretary under the Election Code and specifies that the term does not include a city secretary.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1136 differs from the original by specifying that the term "election authority" does not include a city secretary, whereas the original includes a city secretary as an election authority in the definition of the term.