BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 431

By: Seliger

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the filing deadline for a place on the primary general election ballot is the second Monday in December and that the due date for a candidate's personal financial statement is tied to that filing deadline. The parties further note that the due date can occur well before end-of-year tax information is generally available. S.B. 431 seeks to allow a candidate a reasonable amount of time to receive all end-of-year tax information necessary to complete the required financial statement by changing the filing deadline for such a statement.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

S.B. 431 amends the Government Code to change the deadline for an individual who is a partisan or independent candidate for an office as an elected officer to file the required personal financial statement from not later than the 40th day after the date of the regular filing deadline for an application for a place on the ballot in the general primary election to not later than the later of the 60th day after the date of that regular filing deadline for an application for a place on the ballot in the general primary election or February 12.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.