| 1 | 1 | | 85R12616 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio S.B. No. 2133 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the political activities of certain county elections |
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| 8 | 8 | | administrators. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Sections 31.035(a) and (b), Election Code, are |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) In the county in which a county elections administrator |
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| 13 | 13 | | serves, the [A county elections] administrator may not be a |
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| 14 | 14 | | candidate for a public office or an office of a political party, |
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| 15 | 15 | | hold a public office, or hold an office of or position in a |
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| 16 | 16 | | political party. At the time an administrator becomes a candidate |
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| 17 | 17 | | or accepts an office or position in violation of this subsection, |
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| 18 | 18 | | the administrator vacates the position of administrator. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) In the county in which a county elections administrator |
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| 20 | 20 | | serves, the [A county elections] administrator commits an offense |
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| 21 | 21 | | if the administrator makes a political contribution or political |
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| 22 | 22 | | expenditure, as defined by the law regulating political funds and |
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| 23 | 23 | | campaigns, or publicly supports or opposes a candidate for public |
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| 24 | 24 | | office or a measure to be voted on at an election. An offense under |
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| 25 | 25 | | this subsection is a Class A misdemeanor. On a final conviction, |
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| 26 | 26 | | the administrator's employment is terminated, and the person |
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| 27 | 27 | | convicted is ineligible for future appointment as county elections |
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| 28 | 28 | | administrator. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 30 | 30 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 31 | 31 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 32 | 32 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 33 | 33 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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