By: Vo (Senate Sponsor - Hughes) H.B. No. 2628
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 2019;
May 14, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on State
Affairs; May 19, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable
Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0;
May 19, 2019, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2628 By: Hughes
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the manner of reporting and maintaining certain
information relating to candidates and election returns.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 67.007(a), (c), and (d), Election Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(a) For each election for a statewide, [or] district,
county, or precinct office, a statewide measure, or president and
vice-president of the United States, the county clerk of each
county in the territory covered by the election shall prepare
county election returns.
(c) The county clerk shall certify [sign] the county returns
[to certify their accuracy].
(d) Not later than 24 hours after completion of the local
canvass, the county clerk shall deliver to the secretary of state,
in the manner directed by the secretary, the county returns [in a
sealed envelope]. [The envelope shall be labeled: "Election
Returns for __________ (name) County, for __________(election)."]
SECTION 2. Sections 67.008(b) and (c), Election Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(b) The returns shall be delivered to the secretary of state
as provided by Section 67.007. [, except that the envelope shall be
labeled: "Returns of Election for Governor/Lieutenant Governor,
__________ (name) County, for __________(election)."]
(c) The secretary of state shall retain the returns [in
their sealed condition] until the first day of the next regular
legislative session, when the secretary shall deliver the returns
to the speaker of the house of representatives.
SECTION 3. Section 67.009(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) With the delivery of the official county returns forms,
the secretary of state shall deliver[:
[(1)] written instructions on the preparation and
delivery of the county election returns[; and
[(2) the officially prescribed envelopes for
delivering the returns to the secretary].
SECTION 4. Section 181.032, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as
follows:
(b) Not later than the 10th day after the date of the filing
deadline prescribed by Section 181.033, the authority with whom an
application is filed shall deliver to the secretary of state a list
containing:
(1) each candidate's name;
(2) each candidate's residence address;
(3) the office sought by the candidate; [and]
(4) the date on which the candidate filed the
application; and
(5) any additional information required by the
secretary of state.
(c) A list delivered under Subsection (b) must be in a
format prescribed by the secretary of state.
SECTION 5. Section 181.068(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) The presiding officer of each convention held under this
chapter shall certify, in a format prescribed by the secretary of
state, [writing] for placement on the general election ballot the
name and address of each candidate nominated by the convention.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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