BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1436

By: Price

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

School districts are currently required to hold elections in conjunction with a municipality, county, or the state. A few exceptions are made for smaller districts to allow elections to be held in conjunction with a hospital district. Certain school districts use a voting system that differs from the system used by the districts' local municipality, county, or the state, which can lead to voter confusion regarding the district portion of the ballot. In some of these cases, the local public junior college district uses the same voting system as that of the school district. H.B. 1436 seeks to continue the joint election priority for school districts, while holding elections that are potentially less confusing to voters, by allowing a school district to hold its elections jointly with a public junior college district. 

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. 1436 amends the Education Code to add, as a date on which an election for trustees of an independent school district may be held for purposes of the joint election requirement, the date on which an election is held for the members of the governing board of a public junior college district in which the school district is wholly or partly located.

EFFECTIVE DATE

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