BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2552

By: Bucy

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A number of authorities are authorized to administer elections in Texas, including entities such as school districts and special districts. It has been suggested that a database of information for all elections held in Texas would help voters more fully participate in the election process by allowing them to be more informed about things such as election dates and the offices that are on the ballot. H.B. 2552 seeks to make election information more accessible to voters by requiring the secretary of state to post a database on the secretary's website containing certain information collected from authorities responsible for giving notice of an election.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the secretary of state in SECTION 2 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2552 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to post on the secretary's public website a database containing the following information provided by each authority responsible for giving notice of an election in Texas:

· the name of the authority;

· each office to be filled at the election;

· whether the office is elected at large or by district; and

· the dates of the preceding and next election for the office.

The bill authorizes the secretary of state to solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source for the creation and maintenance of the database and requires the secretary of state to adopt rules as necessary to implement the bill's provisions. The bill requires the authority responsible for giving notice of an election to deliver to the secretary of state information for the database of election information in an electronic format required by the secretary of state.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.