BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1117

By: Swanson

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns that ballot envelopes and carrier envelopes returned by a voter voting a ballot by mail are not being preserved in the same manner as other election records. H.B. 1117 seeks to address these concerns by classifying such ballot and carrier envelopes as precinct election records for purposes of certain preservation requirements.

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

H.B. 1117 amends the Election Code to establish that precinct election records, for purposes of the preservation of precinct election records by the authority to whom they are distributed, include all ballot envelopes and carrier envelopes returned by a voter voting a ballot by mail.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.