BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2559

By: Reynolds

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that the unavailability for public inspection of applications for a ballot to be voted by mail until the first business day after the election day of the latest occurring election for which the application is submitted causes serious issues, such as confusion in application processing and delayed warnings of ballot harvesting. C.S.H.B. 2559 seeks to remedy this situation by changing the date these applications are available for public inspection.

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

C.S.H.B. 2559 amends the Election Code to change the day on which a copy of an application for a ballot to be voted by mail is considered available for public inspection from the first business day after the election day of the latest occurring election for which the application is submitted to the first business day after the election day of the earliest occurring election for which the application is submitted.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2559 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Section 86.014(a), Election Code, is amended to read as follows: (a)  A copy of an application for a ballot to be voted by mail is not available for public inspection, except to the voter seeking to verify that the information pertaining to the voter is accurate, until the first business day after the election day of the latest occurring election for which the application is submitted.  An application submitted under Section 86.0015 is not available for public inspection before the first business day after the earliest occurring election held by the authority to which the application was submitted in the calendar year for which the application was submitted.	SECTION 1.  Section 86.014(a), Election Code, is amended to read as follows: (a)  A copy of an application for a ballot to be voted by mail is not available for public inspection, except to the voter seeking to verify that the information pertaining to the voter is accurate, until the first business day after the election day of the earliest [latest] occurring election for which the application is submitted.
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.