S.B. No. 817
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to certain requirements for political parties holding
  conventions and for officers of certain of those parties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 161.005, Election Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  To be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as a
  county or precinct chair of a political party, a person must:
               (1)  be a qualified voter of the county; and
               (2)  except as provided by Subsection (c), not be a
  candidate for nomination or election to, or be the holder of, an
  elective office of the federal, state, or county government.
         (c)  A candidate for nomination or election to, or the holder
  of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government
  is eligible to serve as a county or precinct chair of a political
  party to which Chapter 181 applies.
         SECTION 2.  Section 163.002, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 163.002.  REQUIRED RULES. A political party that makes
  nominations in this state shall adopt rules that:
               (1)  prescribe the parliamentary procedure governing
  the conduct of party meetings and conventions from the precinct
  level to the state level, including:
                     (A)  quorums;
                     (B)  casting and counting votes;
                     (C)  operation of executive committees;
                     (D)  appointment and duties of convention
  committees; and
                     (E)  presentation of matters before a convention;
               (2)  prescribe the method of selecting the party's
  presidential elector candidates;
               (3)  prescribe the manner of selecting party officers,
  convention delegates, any convention alternates, and convention
  officials;
               (4)  provide for representative apportionment of party
  officers, convention delegates, any convention alternates, and
  convention officials throughout the state on the basis of
  population, party strength, or both, within the appropriate
  territorial unit;
               (5)  provide for periodic publication and publicizing
  of party rules; and
               (6)  prescribe the manner of adopting party rules and
  amendments to the rules.
         SECTION 3.  Subsection (a), Section 181.061, Election Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  A political party nominating by convention must make its
  nominations for statewide offices at a state convention held on the
  second Saturday in April [June] of the election year, except that if
  the Sunday after the second Saturday in April in an election year is
  the date of the Easter holiday, the state convention must be held on
  the third Saturday in April of that year. The state convention
  consists of delegates selected at the county conventions held under
  Subsection (c).
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 817 passed the Senate on
  April 17, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 817 passed the House on
  May 20, 2013, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0, two
  present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor