BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	C.S.H.B. 613
	By: Springer (Fallon)
	State Affairs
	5/18/2019
	Committee Report (Substituted)

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Current law requires independent school districts (ISDs) to hold elections for their board of trustees jointly with other political subdivisions on a uniform election date.

Some small rural ISDs have complained that they may not have another political subdivision with which to jointly hold the election and therefore are concerned that their election violates the law.

H.B. 613 provides that the statute requiring that ISDs hold their election jointly with other political subdivisions (Section 11.0581, Election Code) only applies if another political subdivision is holding an election.

The committee substitute would solve the problem more directly (and with less confusion) by adding a Subsection (f) to the current statute which provides that an ISD in a county with a population under 20,000 may hold a trustee election on the uniform election date even if no other political subdivision is holding an election.

C.S.H.B. 613 amends current law relating to the date of the election for trustees of an independent school district.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 11.0581, Election Code, by adding Subsection (f) to authorize an election for trustees of an independent school district that is wholly located in a county with a population of less than 20,000 to be held on a uniform election date even if no other political subdivision with which the district may have held a joint election is conducting an election.