84R3468 EES-D
 
  By: Capriglione H.B. No. 2845
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the eligibility of a person to be a candidate for or
  holder of a public elective office.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 141.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  To be eligible to be a candidate for, or elected or
  appointed to, a public elective office in this state, a person must:
               (1)  be a United States citizen;
               (2)  be 18 years of age or older on the first day of the
  term to be filled at the election or on the date of appointment, as
  applicable;
               (3)  have not been determined by a final judgment of a
  court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:
                     (A)  totally mentally incapacitated; or
                     (B)  partially mentally incapacitated without the
  right to vote;
               (4)  have not been finally convicted of a felony from
  which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from
  the resulting disabilities;
               (5)  have resided continuously in the state for 12
  months and in the territory from which the office is elected for six
  months immediately preceding the following date:
                     (A)  for a candidate whose name is to appear on a
  general primary election ballot, the date of the regular filing
  deadline for a candidate's application for a place on the ballot;
                     (B)  for an independent candidate, the date of the
  regular filing deadline for a candidate's application for a place
  on the ballot;
                     (C)  for a write-in candidate, the date of the
  election at which the candidate's name is written in;
                     (D)  for a party nominee who is nominated by any
  method other than by primary election, the date the nomination is
  made; and
                     (E)  for an appointee to an office, the date the
  appointment is made; [and]
               (6)  not be required to be registered as a lobbyist
  under Chapter 305, Government Code; and
               (7)  satisfy any other eligibility requirements
  prescribed by law for the office.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 601, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Section 601.011 to read as follows:
         Sec. 601.011.  ELECTED OFFICER MAY NOT BE REGISTERED
  LOBBYIST. (a) A person may not qualify for a public elective
  office if the person is required to be registered as a lobbyist
  under Chapter 305, Government Code. 
         (b)  Subsection (a) does not apply to an office for which the
  federal or state constitution prescribes exclusive qualification
  requirements.
         SECTION 3.  Section 7.103(c), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  A person who is required to register as a lobbyist under
  Chapter 305, Government Code, by virtue of the person's activities
  for compensation in or on behalf of a profession, business, or
  association related to the operation of the board, may not [serve as
  a member of the board or] act as the general counsel to the board.
         SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  the eligibility and qualification requirements for a candidate or
  officer whose term of office will begin on or after the effective
  date of this Act. The eligibility and qualification requirements
  for a candidate or officer whose term of office will begin before
  the effective date of this Act are governed by the law in effect
  immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former
  law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.