BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 334

By: Nevárez

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In certain rural counties in Texas, it is difficult to find candidates to run for a seat on the local school board or for another local office because of the sparse population and the scarcity of potential candidates willing to run for office. As a consequence, a political subdivision may have little or no representation or a sitting official may be pressured to remain in office beyond that official's term. H.B. 334 proposes to address this situation by revising residency requirements for certain elective offices of certain political subdivisions.

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. 334 amends the Election Code to establish that a candidate for the governing body of certain independent school districts or municipalities located in a county with territory greater than 4,600 square miles is eligible for any position of the governing body if the candidate resides anywhere in the territory from which any member of the governing body is elected. The bill applies in such a county only to an independent school district servicing fewer than 1,500 students or a municipality with a population of less than 6,000.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.