BILL ANALYSIS
Office of House Bill Analysis
C.S.H.B. 1820
By: Madden
Elections
4/8/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Election polling places require equipment and personnel that can be very costly for a county to
supply for an election precinct of small or no population. However, current law sets forth no
method for a county to eliminate such election precincts. C.S.H.B. 1820 sets forth provisions
regarding a recommendation to eliminate a county election precinct with a substantially small or
no population.
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. 1820 amends the Election Code to authorize the commissioners court of a county to
submit recommendations to the governing body of a city with a population of 10,000 or more
after the redistricting of a ward of the city to allow the county to eliminate county election
precincts with no population or a substantially small population. The bill requires the
commissioners court to consider changes to the territorial units of a commissioners or justice
precinct after the redistricting to allow the county to eliminate county election precincts with no
population or a substantially small population.
C.S.H.B. 1820 authorizes the commissioners court after the redistricting of a congressional, state
legislative, or State Board of Education district to submit recommendations to the secretary of
state on changes to the territorial units that would allow the county to eliminate county election
precincts with no population or a substantially small population. The bill requires the secretary
of state to evaluate all timely recommendations submitted in the manner prescribed by the
secretary, and to report this information to the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of
the house of representatives by the first day of the regular legislative session following the
redistricting of the territorial unit.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2001.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 1820 differs from the original bill by defining a precinct with a substantially small
population as a precinct with a population of not more than 10 persons or not more than 6
registered voters according to the most recent federal census or list of registered voters on the
date of redistricting.
HBA-JEK C.S.H.B. 1820 77(R)