SRC-SEW C.S.H.B. 1117 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterC.S.H.B. 1117
By: Goodman (Harris)
State Affairs
5/11/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Current law does not require a candidate for the Texas Supreme Court or
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to file signatures with the filing fee for
a place on the general primary election ballot for either court. H.B. 1117
requires that candidates submit 100 signatures of registered voters from
each senatorial district with the filing fee. If candidates for these
offices submit 100 signatures each from five state senatorial districts, it
would indicate a measure of statewide and regional support for their
candidacy.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 172.021, Election Code, by adding Subsection (g)
to require a candidate for the office of chief justice or justice, supreme
court or presiding judge or judge, court of criminal appeals who chooses to
pay the filing fee to also accompany the application with a petition that
complies with the requirements prescribed for the petition authorized by
Subsection (b), except that the minimum number of signatures that is
required to appear on the petition required by this subsection is 100 each
from five state senatorial districts. 
 
SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.