84R7429 GRM-D
By: Gutierrez H.B. No. 1645
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the participation of certain large counties in the
countywide polling place program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 43.007, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (b) and (i) and adding Subsection (d-1) to
read as follows:
(b) The commissioners court of a county that desires to
participate in the program authorized by this section or a county
with a population of more than 1.5 million in which more than 75
percent of the population lives in a single municipality shall hold
a public hearing on the county's participation in the program. The
commissioners court shall submit a transcript or electronic
recording of the public comments made at the hearing to the
secretary of state. A county that has previously participated in a
similar program and held a public hearing on the county's
participation in that program is not required to hold a hearing
under this subsection.
(d-1) The secretary of state shall select to participate in
the program each county that has a population of more than 1.5
million in which more than 75 percent of the population lives in a
single municipality.
(i) The secretary of state may only select to participate in
the program six counties with a population of 100,000 or more, not
including a county selected under Subsection (d-1), and four
counties with a population of less than 100,000.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.