Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2021 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R8848 JRJ-D
2	2	By: Miller of Fort Bend H.B. No. 2021
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to preparation for the conduct of a primary election.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 52.002, Election Code, is amended to
10	10	read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 52.002. AUTHORITY PREPARING BALLOT. Except as
12	12	otherwise provided by law, the following authority shall have the
13	13	official ballot prepared:
14	14	(1) for an election ordered by the governor or a county
15	15	authority or for a primary election, the county clerk;
16	16	(2) [for a primary election, the county chair of the
17	17	political party holding the primary;
18	18	[(3)] for an election ordered by a city authority, the
19	19	city secretary; and
20	20	(3) [(4)] for an election ordered by an authority of a
21	21	political subdivision other than a county or city, the secretary of
22	22	the subdivision's governing body or, if the governing body has no
23	23	secretary, the governing body's presiding officer.
24	24	SECTION 2. Section 123.033, Election Code, is amended by
25	25	amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (g) and (h) to read
26	26	as follows:
27	27	(c) If the county executive committee desires to lease
28	28	equipment owned by the county served by the committee, the county
29	29	shall lease the equipment to the committee under the terms agreed to
30	30	by the parties, which must provide for the county to conduct any
31	31	programming, testing, and validation of voting system equipment on
32	32	behalf of the county executive committee. The county chair may be
33	33	present during testing and validation of voting system equipment.
34	34	The [except that the] county's duty to lease the equipment under
35	35	this subsection is subject to reasonable restrictions and
36	36	conditions imposed by the commissioners court to:
37	37	(1) ensure availability of the equipment in elections
38	38	for which the commissioners court adopted the voting system; and
39	39	(2) protect the equipment from misuse or damage.
40	40	(g) Notwithstanding any other law, reimbursement to a
41	41	county for expenses incurred as described by Subsection (f)(2)
42	42	shall be reimbursed by the secretary of state directly to the
43	43	county.
44	44	(h) The secretary of state may adopt rules to implement this
45	45	section.
46	46	SECTION 3. Section 172.029(e), Election Code, is amended to
47	47	read as follows:
48	48	(e) The secretary of state shall:
49	49	(1) archive and keep available for inspection a list
50	50	of all candidates for whom information has been submitted under
51	51	this section; and
52	52	(2) prescribe rules for:
53	53	(A) submitting the list electronically; and
54	54	(B) the maintenance and accessibility of
55	55	information provided under this section to enable a county clerk to
56	56	use the list to create and print the ballot for a primary election
57	57	[methodology for distribution to each county clerk and state
58	58	chair].
59	59	SECTION 4. Section 172.083, Election Code, is amended to
60	60	read as follows:
61	61	Sec. 172.083. REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF BALLOT BY COUNTY OR
62	62	STATE CHAIR [PRIMARY COMMITTEE]. Before having the official
63	63	ballots for a general primary election printed, the county clerk
64	64	[chair] shall submit the format for the official ballot [to the
65	65	primary committee] for [its] review and approval to the county
66	66	chair or the county chair's designee. If the county chair or
67	67	designee fails to approve or disapprove the format within a
68	68	reasonable time, the clerk may submit the format for the official
69	69	ballot to the state chair or the state chair's designee for review
70	70	and approval.
71	71	SECTION 5. Section 173.003, Election Code, is amended to
72	72	read as follows:
73	73	Sec. 173.003. EXPENSES INCURRED BY COUNTY. (a) Except as
74	74	otherwise provided by law, the county shall pay all the expenses
75	75	incurred in connection with early voting in a primary election,
76	76	except expenses relating to the printing of early voting ballots,
77	77	and any other expenses incurred by a county authority in connection
78	78	with a primary election.
79	79	(b) The secretary of state shall adopt rules for the
80	80	reimbursement of expenses relating to the printing of ballots for a
81	81	primary election. The rules shall designate whether expenses may
82	82	be reimbursed to the county or directly to the vendor providing
83	83	services to the county.
84	84	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.