BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2060

By: Pena

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, petitioners may request a state elections inspector to observe an election. The identity of the petitioners is confidential and not subject to state public information law, presumably to protect the petitioners from intimidation and retaliation. H.B. 2060 seeks to extend this protection to the inspectors themselves by making the appointment and location of the inspectors confidential until after the election occurs.

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. 2060 amends the Election Code to establish that the appointment by the secretary of state of a state inspector for an election is confidential and not available for public inspection until the day after election day. The bill makes a written request from registered voters for the appointment of such an inspector confidential, in addition to being unavailable for public inspection, until the day after election day. The bill makes information held by the secretary of state indicating the place a state inspector has been appointed to inspect confidential and not available for public inspection during the period beginning on the day the state inspector is appointed and ending on the day after election day.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.