BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1871

By: King, Tracy O.

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Certain Texas school districts are located in multiple counties, and interested parties note that current election procedures place a large financial burden on these districts. The parties assert that the burden could be alleviated if a school district were responsible only for a certain proportion of election expenses. H.B. 1871 addresses this issue by making changes to the election procedures for certain school districts.

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. 1871 amends the Education Code to require the joint election agreement allocating expenses for an election for trustees of an independent school district to provide that a school district is responsible only for the proportion of election expenses that corresponds to the proportion that the number of registered voters in the school district bears to the total number of registered voters in all political subdivisions participating in the joint election. The bill applies its provisions only to a school district that has territory located in at least four counties, each of which has a population of less than 46,100, and no part of which is located in a municipality.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.