Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1271 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R8618 JRJ-D
2	2	By: Lang H.B. No. 1271
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to holding elections on uniform election dates.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 11.0581(a), Education Code, is amended
10	10	to read as follows:
11	11	(a) An election for trustees of an independent school
12	12	district shall be held on a uniform election date [the same date as:
13	13	[(1) the election for the members of the governing
14	14	body of a municipality located in the school district;
15	15	[(2) the general election for state and county
16	16	officers;
17	17	[(3) the election for the members of the governing
18	18	body of a hospital district, if the school district:
19	19	[(A) is wholly or partly located in a county with
20	20	a population of less than 40,000 that is adjacent to a county with a
21	21	population of more than three million; and
22	22	[(B) held its election for trustees jointly with
23	23	the election for the members of the governing body of the hospital
24	24	district before May 2007; or
25	25	[(4) the election for the members of the governing
26	26	board of a public junior college district in which the school
27	27	district is wholly or partly located].
28	28	SECTION 2. Section 41.253(b), Education Code, is amended to
29	29	read as follows:
30	30	(b) The transitional board of trustees shall divide the
31	31	consolidated district into nine single-member trustee districts in
32	32	accordance with the procedures provided by Section 11.052. The
33	33	transitional board shall order an election for the initial board of
34	34	trustees to be held on the first [May] uniform election date after
35	35	the effective date of a consolidation order.
36	36	SECTION 3. Sections 41.001(a), (b), and (c), Election Code,
37	37	are amended to read as follows:
38	38	(a) Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, each
39	39	general or special election in this state shall be held on one of
40	40	the following dates:
41	41	(1) the first Tuesday in March [Saturday in May in an
42	42	odd-numbered year;
43	43	[(2) the first Saturday in May] in an even-numbered
44	44	year[, for an election held by a political subdivision other than a
45	45	county]; or
46	46	(2) [(3)] the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
47	47	November.
48	48	(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to:
49	49	(1) a runoff election;
50	50	(2) an election to resolve a tie vote;
51	51	(3) an election held under an order of a court or other
52	52	tribunal;
53	53	(4) an emergency election ordered under Section
54	54	41.0011;
55	55	(5) an expedited election to fill a vacancy in the
56	56	legislature held under Section 203.013;
57	57	(6) a special [an] election held under Chapter 203 or
58	58	204 [a statute that expressly provides that the requirement of
59	59	Subsection (a) does not apply to the election]; or
60	60	(7) the initial election of the members of the
61	61	governing body of a newly incorporated city.
62	62	(c) Except for an election under Subsection (a) or Section
63	63	41.0011 [or a runoff election following an election held under
64	64	Subsection (a)(2)], an election may not be held within 30 days
65	65	before or after the date of the general election for state and
66	66	county officers, general primary election, or runoff primary
67	67	election.
68	68	SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 41, Election Code, is
69	69	amended by adding Section 41.0051 to read as follows:
70	70	Sec. 41.0051. ELECTION TO ISSUE BONDS. Notwithstanding any
71	71	other law, an election for the issuance of bonds by a political
72	72	subdivision shall be held on a uniform election date.
73	73	SECTION 5. Section 41.0052(a), Election Code, is amended to
74	74	read as follows:
75	75	(a) The governing body of a political subdivision[, other
76	76	than a county or municipal utility district,] that holds its
77	77	general election for officers on a date other than the November
78	78	uniform election date shall [may], not later than December 31, 2017
79	79	[2016], change the date on which it holds its general election for
80	80	officers to the November uniform election date.
81	81	SECTION 6. Section 43.007(a), Election Code, is amended to
82	82	read as follows:
83	83	(a) The secretary of state shall implement a program to
84	84	allow each commissioners court participating in the program to
85	85	eliminate county election precinct polling places and establish
86	86	countywide polling places for:
87	87	(1) each general election for state and county
88	88	officers;
89	89	(2) [each election held on the uniform election date
90	90	in May;
91	91	[(3)] each election on a proposed constitutional
92	92	amendment;
93	93	(3) [(4)] each primary election and runoff primary
94	94	election if:
95	95	(A) the county chair or county executive
96	96	committee of each political party participating in a joint primary
97	97	election under Section 172.126 agrees to the use of countywide
98	98	polling places; or
99	99	(B) the county chair or county executive
100	100	committee of each political party required to nominate candidates
101	101	by primary election agrees to use the same countywide polling
102	102	places; and
103	103	(4) [(5)] each election of a political subdivision
104	104	located in the county that is held jointly with an election
105	105	described by Subdivision (1), (2), or (3)[, or (4)].
106	106	SECTION 7. Section 67.003(a), Election Code, is amended to
107	107	read as follows:
108	108	(a) Except as provided by Subsection [(b) or] (c), each
109	109	local canvassing authority shall convene to conduct the local
110	110	canvass at the time set by the canvassing authority's presiding
111	111	officer not earlier than the eighth day or later than the 11th day
112	112	after election day.
113	113	SECTION 8. Section 49.103(b), Water Code, is amended to
114	114	read as follows:
115	115	(b) After confirmation of a district, an election shall be
116	116	held on the uniform election date, provided by Section 41.001,
117	117	Election Code, [in May of each even-numbered year] to elect the
118	118	appropriate number of directors.
119	119	SECTION 9. Section 56.804(a), Water Code, is amended to
120	120	read as follows:
121	121	(a) The election shall be held on a uniform election day [in
122	122	May].
123	123	SECTION 10. Sections 41.001(d), 41.0052(e), 41.007(d),
124	124	42.002(c), 67.003(b), and 85.001(e), Election Code, are repealed.
125	125	SECTION 11. This Act applies only to an election ordered on
126	126	or after the effective date of this Act. An election ordered before
127	127	the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed
128	128	immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
129	129	continued in effect for that purpose.
130	130	SECTION 12. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.