HBA-CMT C.S.H.B. 709 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 709
By: Danburg
Elections
4/19/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

In the last decade, Texas has experienced a rapid population growth,
especially in large urban counties, which has strained the resources of
counties to provide the essential voting equipment and personnel needed to
conduct elections.  C.S.H.B. 709 modifies the provisions governing the
maximum number of registered voters that election precincts in certain
counties are authorized to contain.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 709 amends the Election Code to provide that the maximum number of
registered voters a precinct is authorized to contain in a general election
for state and county officers is 3,000 in a county with a population of
less than 400,000 and 6,000 in a county with a population larger than
400,000.  The bill prohibits an election precinct that is larger than 200
square miles to be combined with an adjacent precinct for the purpose of
reaching the maximum number of registered voters a precinct is authorized
to contain.   
EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 709 differs the original bill by modifying the maximum number of
registered voters a precinct is authorized to contain and population
requirements pertaining to the maximum number of registered voters allowed
in those precincts.  The substitute adds the provision prohibiting an
election precinct that is larger than 200 square miles from combining with
an adjacent precinct for the purpose of reaching the maximum number of
registered voters a precinct is authorized to contain.