BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1987

By: Vasut

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding certain eligibility requirements to hold a political party office in Texas. Current law prohibits a person from being a candidate for, or serving as, a county or precinct chair of certain political parties if the person is simultaneously a candidate for, or holds, a federal, state, or county elective office. It has been suggested that this resign-to-run or resign-to-serve requirement does not apply equally between local and state party officials. Current law also exempts political parties with state organization who nominate by convention from this resign-to-run or resign-to-serve requirement. It has been suggested that this requirement should apply equally to those political parties. H.B. 1987 addresses these issues by revising the eligibility requirements to hold a political party office in Texas.

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. 1987 amends the Election Code to extend the prohibition against a candidate for political party office from concurrently being a candidate for nomination or election to, or being the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government to include a candidate seeking to be a candidate for, or serve as, any officer of a political party. The bill maintains the requirement for a candidate for a political party county or precinct chair to be a qualified voter of the applicable county.

H.B. 1987 repeals Section 161.005(c), Election Code, which makes a candidate for nomination or election to, or the holder of, an elective office of the federal, state, or county government eligible to serve as a county or precinct chair of a political party with state organization nominating by convention.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.