By: Kacal, Ashby (Senate Sponsor - Paxton) H.B. No. 3046
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2023;
  May 10, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 19, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 19, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the omission of a deceased candidate from the ballot in
  certain elections.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 145.096(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) or Section
  145.098(b) or (d), a candidate's name shall be placed on the ballot
  if the candidate:
               (1)  dies on or after the second day before the deadline
  for filing the candidate's application for a place on the ballot;
               (2)  is declared ineligible after 5 p.m. of the fifth
  day after the deadline for filing the candidate's application for a
  place on the ballot, in an election subject to Section 145.092(a);
               (3)  is declared ineligible after 5 p.m. of the 57th day
  before election day, in an election subject to Section 145.092(b);
  or
               (4)  is declared ineligible after 5 p.m. of the 71st day
  before election day, in an election subject to Section 145.092(f).
         SECTION 2.  Section 145.098, Election Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
         (c)  If the deadline for filing an application for a place on
  the ballot is extended under Subsection (b), the authority
  responsible for preparing the ballot shall: 
               (1)  prepare a notice identifying the name of the
  deceased candidate, the office sought by the candidate, and the
  date of the new filing deadline; and 
               (2)  publish the notice prepared under Subdivision (1): 
                     (A)  on the Internet website maintained by the
  political subdivision holding the election; or 
                     (B)  if the political subdivision does not
  maintain an Internet website, on the bulletin board used for
  posting notice of meetings of the governing body of the political
  subdivision.
         (d)  If a candidate for an office of a city with a population
  of 100,000 or less dies before the ballots are printed, the
  authority responsible for preparing the ballots may choose to omit
  the candidate from the ballot.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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