BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2053

By: Pena

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A person is currently ineligible to serve as a poll watcher if that person has been convicted of an offense in connection with conduct directly attributable to an election. Interested parties contend that the law reflects a common sense approach to addressing voter fraud by making individuals who have a previous history of tampering with elections ineligible to serve. H.B. 2053 seeks to expand that prohibition.

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. 2053 amends the Election Code to include as a condition that makes a person ineligible to serve as a watcher in an election that the person has been finally convicted of a felony.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.