By: Gonzales of Williamson, et al. H.B. No. 273

(Senate Sponsor - Campbell)

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 2017; May 10, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 18, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 18, 2017, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the content of local and state propositions on the ballot.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 52.095, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 52.095. PROPOSITIONS. (a) Except as otherwise provided by law, the authority ordering an election in which more than one measure is to be voted on shall determine the order in which the propositions are to appear on the ballot and identify them as follows:

(1) except as provided by Subdivision (2), for each proposition on the ballot, the authority ordering the election shall assign a letter of the alphabet to the measure that corresponds to its order on the ballot; and

(2) for each proposition on the ballot to be voted on statewide, the authority ordering the election shall assign a number to the measure that corresponds to its order on the ballot.

(b) Each proposition on the ballot must identify the name of the authority ordering the election on the measure.

(c) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures necessary to implement this section.

SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 274, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 274.004 to read as follows:

Sec. 274.004. PROPOSITION BALLOT ORDER. A proposed constitutional amendment must be placed on the ballot before all other propositions.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.

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