84R6386 ADM-F
By: Blanco H.B. No. 2644
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to notice given of election precinct boundary changes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 42.034, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 42.034. NOTICE TO REGISTRAR; REGISTRAR TO MAKE MAP
AVAILABLE. (a) The commissioners court shall deliver a certified
copy of an order changing a county election precinct boundary to the
voter registrar not later than the seventh day after the date the
order is adopted.
(b) The registrar shall make an electronic version of the
precinct boundary map available on the website of the county. If no
county website is maintained, the registrar shall provide copies of
the precinct boundary map upon written request.
SECTION 2. Sections 42.035(a) and (c), Election Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(a) Not later than [Beginning with] the first week following
the week in which an order changing a county election precinct
boundary is adopted, the commissioners court shall publish notice
of the change on the website of the county [in a newspaper in the
county once a week for three consecutive weeks].
(c) If no county website is maintained [newspaper is
published in the county], the commissioners court shall post the
notice at the county courthouse on the bulletin board used for
posting notice of meetings of the commissioners court. The notice
must remain posted continuously for three consecutive weeks.
SECTION 3. The heading to Section 42.036, Election Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 42.036. ADDITIONAL NOTICE TO CERTAIN COUNTY CHAIRS [IN
POPULOUS COUNTIES].
SECTION 4. Section 42.036(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) The commissioners court shall deliver written notice of
each proposed change and of each order making a change in a county
election precinct boundary to[:
[(1)] the county chair of each political party that
held a primary election in the county on the most recent general
primary day[;
[(2) the political party's precinct chair of each
affected election precinct; and
[(3) the presiding judge appointed by the
commissioners court for each affected election precinct].
SECTION 5. Sections 42.037(a) and (c), Election Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(a) Not later than the 120th day after the date an order
changing a county election precinct boundary is adopted, the county
clerk shall deliver to the secretary of state a map depicting the
affected precinct's boundary as changed and showing the number of
the precinct. The map may be delivered in an electronic format.
(c) The state librarian shall retain the map for 20 years
after receipt, except that for a map delivered in electronic
format, the state librarian may retain the map for more than 20
years to follow standard retention practices.
SECTION 6. Section 42.036(a), Election Code, is repealed.
SECTION 7. 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.