H.B. 1274 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1274 By: Geren Elections Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, a person circulating a petition for a candidate's place on a ballot is required to point out and read certain statements to each person who signs the petition and requires each part of the petition to include an affidavit verifying that this was done. These requirements can be difficult and time-consuming to meet and can create a seemingly unnecessary burden on petitioners, especially on candidate's required to submit petitions for election and reelection. House Bill 1274 reduces the burdens on petitioners by removing these requirements. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1274 amends the Election Code by deleting the requirement that a petitioner circulating a petition for a candidate's place on the ballot, before permitting a person to sign the petition, point out and read to the person each statement pertaining to the signer that appears on the petition (statements). The bill also deletes the requirement that each part of the petition include an affidavit attesting that the statements were read aloud before the petition was signed. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2003.