BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 665 By: Bucy Elections Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current state law requires the secretary of state to post candidate and officeholder information on the secretary's website with respect to certain elections, such as the candidate's name, public mailing address, and email address. However, the secretary of state, as the state's chief election officer, has the opportunity to further centralize candidate information from elections held at all levels of government across Texas. H.B. 665 seeks to improve transparency and increase access to information for voters by requiring the secretary of state to create and maintain a database of local election information and a database of information about local incumbents and candidates. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the secretary of state in SECTION 2 of this bill. ANALYSIS H.B. 665 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to post on the secretary's public website a database containing the following information on each election for a partisan office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district provided by each authority responsible for giving notice of an election or by a county that receives the information from such an authority: the name of the authority; each office to be filled at the election; whether the office is elected at large or by district; the duration of the term of office; and the dates of the preceding and next election for the office. The bill requires the secretary of state to adopt rules as necessary to implement the election information database. H.B. 665 requires the authority responsible for giving notice of an election to electronically deliver the information on an election for a partisan office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district for the election information database of the secretary of state in January of each year as follows: as required by the secretary of state, if the authority is a county or political party; or to the county in which the authority is located, if the authority is a city or school district. The bill requires a county that receives the information to forward the information to the secretary of state. H.B. 665 requires the secretary of state to post on the secretary's website a database containing the following information about each holder of or candidate for a partisan elected office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district: name; office title held or office sought, including any district, place, or position, and a notation that the person is an incumbent, as applicable; if the office is elected at large or by district; date of the election or the previous and next election for the office, as applicable; public mailing address and, if available, public telephone number and email address; and for a candidate for office, if the candidate has filed as a write-in candidate. The bill requires the secretary of state to make the name, office, and party affiliation of such an office or position holder available on the secretary of state's website for as long as the person holds that office. The bill requires the county with whom a declaration of candidacy is filed, a state or county chair of a political party, or the presiding officer of a political party's convention to provide the information to the secretary of state. The bill requires a political subdivision to provide information about a candidate or officeholder to the county in which the political subdivision is located and requires the county to then forward that information to the secretary of state. The bill requires the secretary of state to adopt rules as necessary to implement the incumbent and candidate database. H.B. 665 requires a county or political party with whom an application for a place on the ballot is filed to provide the secretary of state with the candidate's information required for the incumbent and candidate database. The bill requires a political subdivision with whom an application is filed to provide the candidate's information to the county in which the political subdivision is located and requires the county to then forward the candidate's information to the secretary of state. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 665
By: Bucy
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 665
By: Bucy
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current state law requires the secretary of state to post candidate and officeholder information on the secretary's website with respect to certain elections, such as the candidate's name, public mailing address, and email address. However, the secretary of state, as the state's chief election officer, has the opportunity to further centralize candidate information from elections held at all levels of government across Texas. H.B. 665 seeks to improve transparency and increase access to information for voters by requiring the secretary of state to create and maintain a database of local election information and a database of information about local incumbents and candidates.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the secretary of state in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS H.B. 665 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to post on the secretary's public website a database containing the following information on each election for a partisan office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district provided by each authority responsible for giving notice of an election or by a county that receives the information from such an authority: the name of the authority; each office to be filled at the election; whether the office is elected at large or by district; the duration of the term of office; and the dates of the preceding and next election for the office. The bill requires the secretary of state to adopt rules as necessary to implement the election information database. H.B. 665 requires the authority responsible for giving notice of an election to electronically deliver the information on an election for a partisan office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district for the election information database of the secretary of state in January of each year as follows: as required by the secretary of state, if the authority is a county or political party; or to the county in which the authority is located, if the authority is a city or school district. The bill requires a county that receives the information to forward the information to the secretary of state. H.B. 665 requires the secretary of state to post on the secretary's website a database containing the following information about each holder of or candidate for a partisan elected office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district: name; office title held or office sought, including any district, place, or position, and a notation that the person is an incumbent, as applicable; if the office is elected at large or by district; date of the election or the previous and next election for the office, as applicable; public mailing address and, if available, public telephone number and email address; and for a candidate for office, if the candidate has filed as a write-in candidate. The bill requires the secretary of state to make the name, office, and party affiliation of such an office or position holder available on the secretary of state's website for as long as the person holds that office. The bill requires the county with whom a declaration of candidacy is filed, a state or county chair of a political party, or the presiding officer of a political party's convention to provide the information to the secretary of state. The bill requires a political subdivision to provide information about a candidate or officeholder to the county in which the political subdivision is located and requires the county to then forward that information to the secretary of state. The bill requires the secretary of state to adopt rules as necessary to implement the incumbent and candidate database. H.B. 665 requires a county or political party with whom an application for a place on the ballot is filed to provide the secretary of state with the candidate's information required for the incumbent and candidate database. The bill requires a political subdivision with whom an application is filed to provide the candidate's information to the county in which the political subdivision is located and requires the county to then forward the candidate's information to the secretary of state.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current state law requires the secretary of state to post candidate and officeholder information on the secretary's website with respect to certain elections, such as the candidate's name, public mailing address, and email address. However, the secretary of state, as the state's chief election officer, has the opportunity to further centralize candidate information from elections held at all levels of government across Texas. H.B. 665 seeks to improve transparency and increase access to information for voters by requiring the secretary of state to create and maintain a database of local election information and a database of information about local incumbents and candidates.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the secretary of state in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 665 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to post on the secretary's public website a database containing the following information on each election for a partisan office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district provided by each authority responsible for giving notice of an election or by a county that receives the information from such an authority:
the name of the authority;
each office to be filled at the election;
whether the office is elected at large or by district;
the duration of the term of office; and
the dates of the preceding and next election for the office.
The bill requires the secretary of state to adopt rules as necessary to implement the election information database.
H.B. 665 requires the authority responsible for giving notice of an election to electronically deliver the information on an election for a partisan office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district for the election information database of the secretary of state in January of each year as follows:
as required by the secretary of state, if the authority is a county or political party; or
to the county in which the authority is located, if the authority is a city or school district.
The bill requires a county that receives the information to forward the information to the secretary of state.
H.B. 665 requires the secretary of state to post on the secretary's website a database containing the following information about each holder of or candidate for a partisan elected office, the office of mayor, or a position on the governing body of a city or board of trustees of an independent school district:
name;
office title held or office sought, including any district, place, or position, and a notation that the person is an incumbent, as applicable;
if the office is elected at large or by district;
date of the election or the previous and next election for the office, as applicable;
public mailing address and, if available, public telephone number and email address; and
for a candidate for office, if the candidate has filed as a write-in candidate.
The bill requires the secretary of state to make the name, office, and party affiliation of such an office or position holder available on the secretary of state's website for as long as the person holds that office. The bill requires the county with whom a declaration of candidacy is filed, a state or county chair of a political party, or the presiding officer of a political party's convention to provide the information to the secretary of state. The bill requires a political subdivision to provide information about a candidate or officeholder to the county in which the political subdivision is located and requires the county to then forward that information to the secretary of state. The bill requires the secretary of state to adopt rules as necessary to implement the incumbent and candidate database.
H.B. 665 requires a county or political party with whom an application for a place on the ballot is filed to provide the secretary of state with the candidate's information required for the incumbent and candidate database. The bill requires a political subdivision with whom an application is filed to provide the candidate's information to the county in which the political subdivision is located and requires the county to then forward the candidate's information to the secretary of state.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.