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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the eligibility of political party candidates or |
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officers and certain procedures of the county executive committee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 161.005(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible to be a candidate for or to serve as an |
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officer of a political party, a person must: |
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(1) except as provided by Subsection (c), not be a |
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candidate for nomination or election to, or be the holder of, an |
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elective office of the federal, state, or county government; [and] |
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(2) if the office is a county or precinct chair of a |
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political party, be a qualified voter of the county; and |
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(3) have not been finally convicted of a felony from |
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which the person has not been pardoned or otherwise released from |
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the resulting disabilities. |
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SECTION 2. Section 171.022, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) The county chair may appoint ex officio, nonvoting |
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members, as necessary, to assist the county executive committee in |
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conducting business, to serve at the pleasure of the chair. |
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SECTION 3. Section 171.024(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) If a vacancy occurs in the office of precinct chair, the |
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county chair shall appoint a replacement who meets the |
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qualifications for office under Section 161.005(a) to serve for the |
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remainder of the term. The county chair may form a vacancy |
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committee to assist in filling vacancies under this subsection |
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[Each party shall adopt rules to determine a percentage of |
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committee membership that constitutes a quorum for purposes of |
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filling a vacancy in the office of precinct chair. To be elected, a |
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person must receive a favorable vote of a majority of the members |
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voting]. |
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SECTION 4. Section 171.026, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 171.026. MEETINGS; PROXY NOT ALLOWED. (a) The county |
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chair shall set the schedule for meetings and the agenda for each |
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meeting. |
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(b) A person may not participate in a county executive |
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committee meeting as a proxy. |
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(c) A county executive committee meeting may be in person or |
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by videoconference, as provided by Section 551.127, Government |
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Code. |
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SECTION 5. The heading to Section 171.028, Election Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 171.028. COUNTY CHAIR AUTHORITY AND TRANSITION. |
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SECTION 6. Section 171.028, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) Not later than the 30th day after the date the term of |
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office of a new county chair begins, the person formerly serving as |
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the county chair shall transfer to the new county chair: |
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(1) all local party [bank] accounts [over which the |
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former county chair has authority]; and |
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(2) the following original records that are in the |
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possession of the former county chair: |
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(A) precinct chair and county chair canvass |
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results; |
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(B) candidate applications; |
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(C) paperwork related to the primary election; |
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and |
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(D) other documents concerning party affairs. |
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(e) The county chair has authority over and is the |
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administrator of all party accounts and contracts. |
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SECTION 7. Section 171.029, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (e) and (f) to read as follows: |
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(e) A precinct or county chair may be removed from office |
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under this section if the precinct or county chair no longer meets |
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the eligibility requirements under Section 161.005. |
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(f) A precinct or county chair may not be removed except as |
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provided by this section. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |