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