Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3415 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R12830 SRS-D
2	2	By: Shaheen H.B. No. 3415
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 41.253(b), Education Code, is amended to
10	10	read as follows:
11	11	(b) The transitional board of trustees shall divide the
12	12	consolidated district into nine single-member trustee districts in
13	13	accordance with the procedures provided by Section 11.052. The
14	14	transitional board shall order an election for the initial board of
15	15	trustees to be held on the first November [May] uniform election
16	16	date in an even-numbered year after the effective date of a
17	17	consolidation order.
18	18	SECTION 2. Sections 41.001(a) and (b), Election Code, are
19	19	amended to read as follows:
20	20	(a) Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, each
21	21	general or special election in this state shall be held on [one of
22	22	the following dates:
23	23	[(1) the first Saturday in May in an odd-numbered
24	24	year;
25	25	[(2) the first Saturday in May in an even-numbered
26	26	year, for an election held by a political subdivision other than a
27	27	county; or
28	28	[(3)] the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
29	29	November in an even-numbered year.
30	30	(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to:
31	31	(1) a runoff election;
32	32	(2) an election to resolve a tie vote;
33	33	(3) an election held under an order of a court or other
34	34	tribunal;
35	35	(4) an emergency election ordered under Section
36	36	41.0011;
37	37	(5) an expedited election to fill a vacancy in the
38	38	legislature held under Section 203.013;
39	39	[(6) an election held under a statute that expressly
40	40	provides that the requirement of Subsection (a) does not apply to
41	41	the election;] or
42	42	(6) [(7)] the initial election of the members of the
43	43	governing body of a newly incorporated city.
44	44	SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 41, Election Code, is
45	45	amended by adding Section 41.0051 to read as follows:
46	46	Sec. 41.0051. ELECTION TO ISSUE BONDS. Notwithstanding any
47	47	other law, an election for the issuance of bonds by a political
48	48	subdivision shall be held on the uniform election date in an
49	49	even-numbered year.
50	50	SECTION 4. Section 41.0052(a), Election Code, is amended to
51	51	read as follows:
52	52	(a) The governing body of a political subdivision[, other
53	53	than a county or municipal utility district,] that holds its
54	54	general election for officers on a date other than the November
55	55	uniform election date in an even-numbered year shall [may], not
56	56	later than December 31, 2017 [2016], change the date on which it
57	57	holds its general election for officers to the November uniform
58	58	election date in an even-numbered year in a manner that does not
59	59	cause an officer's term to exceed any applicable constitutional
60	60	limits.
61	61	SECTION 5. Section 43.007(a), Election Code, is amended to
62	62	read as follows:
63	63	(a) The secretary of state shall implement a program to
64	64	allow each commissioners court participating in the program to
65	65	eliminate county election precinct polling places and establish
66	66	countywide polling places for:
67	67	(1) each general election for state and county
68	68	officers;
69	69	(2) [each election held on the uniform election date
70	70	in May;
71	71	[(3)] each election on a proposed constitutional
72	72	amendment;
73	73	(3) [(4)] each primary election and runoff primary
74	74	election if:
75	75	(A) the county chair or county executive
76	76	committee of each political party participating in a joint primary
77	77	election under Section 172.126 agrees to the use of countywide
78	78	polling places; or
79	79	(B) the county chair or county executive
80	80	committee of each political party required to nominate candidates
81	81	by primary election agrees to use the same countywide polling
82	82	places; and
83	83	(4) [(5)] each election of a political subdivision
84	84	located in the county that is held jointly with an election
85	85	described by Subdivision (1), (2), or (3)[, or (4)].
86	86	SECTION 6. Section 67.003(a), Election Code, is amended to
87	87	read as follows:
88	88	(a) Except as provided by Subsection [(b) or] (c), each
89	89	local canvassing authority shall convene to conduct the local
90	90	canvass at the time set by the canvassing authority's presiding
91	91	officer not earlier than the eighth day or later than the 11th day
92	92	after election day.
93	93	SECTION 7. Section 49.103(b), Water Code, is amended to
94	94	read as follows:
95	95	(b) After confirmation of a district, an election shall be
96	96	held on the uniform election date, provided by Section 41.001,
97	97	Election Code, [in May of each even-numbered year] to elect the
98	98	appropriate number of directors.
99	99	SECTION 8. Section 56.804(a), Water Code, is amended to
100	100	read as follows:
101	101	(a) The election shall be held on the [a] uniform election
102	102	day [in May].
103	103	SECTION 9. The following laws are repealed:
104	104	(1) Section 11.0581, Education Code; and
105	105	(2) Sections 41.001(c) and(d), 41.0052(e), 41.007(d),
106	106	42.002(c), 67.003(b), and 85.001(e), Election Code.
107	107	SECTION 10. This Act applies only to an election ordered on
108	108	or after the effective date of this Act. An election ordered before
109	109	the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed
110	110	immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is
111	111	continued in effect for that purpose.
112	112	SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.