BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2959

By: Price

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A former county chair for a political party is currently required to transfer certain records in the possession of the former county chair to the newly elected county chair. Interested parties contend that a former county chair has no incentive to ensure the orderly transfer of records needed for the proper functioning of the local county party because there is no mechanism for enforcement, such as a penalty for failure to comply.   H.B. 2959 seeks to remedy the situation by making statutory changes relating to the required transfer of records to a new county chair of a political party and by providing a penalty for certain noncompliance.

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. 2959 amends the Election Code to make it a Class B misdemeanor for a person who formerly served as the county chair of the county executive committee for a political party to fail to transfer certain records to the new county chair as required under provisions of law governing a county chair's transition.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.