BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 944

By: Paul

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties are concerned that there is no criminal penalty for a county election officer who prevents the county chair of a political party from supervising the conduct of a primary election. C.S.H.B. 944 seeks to provide for such a penalty.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill expressly does one or more of the following: creates a criminal offense, increases the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or changes 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

C.S.H.B. 944 amends the Election Code to create a Class B misdemeanor offense for a county election officer who prevents the county chair of a political party holding a primary election in the county or the county chair's designee from supervising the conduct of the primary election as required by state law, including supervising the tabulation of results.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 944 differs from the original only by amending the caption.