Bill Text: TX HB630 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Comm Sub

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Bill Title: Relating to the filling of vacancies on a political party's county executive committee and the conduct of certain primary elections in the absence of a county executive committee.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2013-06-14 - Effective immediately [HB630 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-HB630-Comm_Sub.html

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By: Larson (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 630
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 23, 2013;
April 25, 2013, read first time and referred to Committee on State
Affairs; May 6, 2013, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 6, 2013,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 630 By: Huffman

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the filling of vacancies on a political party's county
executive committee.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 171.024(b), (c), and (d), Election
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(b) A [Except as provided by Subsection (c), a] majority of
the committee's membership must participate in filling a vacancy in
the office of county chair. To be elected, a person must receive a
favorable vote of a majority of the members voting.
(c) Each party shall adopt rules to determine a percentage
of committee membership that constitutes a quorum for purposes of
filling a [A] vacancy in the office of precinct chair. To be
elected, a person must receive a favorable vote of a majority of the
members voting [may be filled without participation of the majority
of the committee membership if only one person is a candidate to
fill the vacancy and the person:
[(1) was elected as a precinct chair in the most recent
primary election in the county; and
[(2) is eligible to serve in the vacant office].
(d) A vacancy in the office of county chair may not be filled
before the beginning of the term of office in which the vacancy
occurs.
SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 172, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 172.128 to read as follows:
Sec. 172.128. ALTERNATIVE PRIMARY PROCEDURE FOR COUNTIES
WITHOUT COUNTY PARTY LEADERSHIP. (a) This section applies only to
a primary election:
(1) that is required for the nomination of a political
party to a state or county office; or
(2) for which a measure appears on the ballot.
(b) The state chair of a political party may contract with a
county clerk, county tax assessor-collector, or county elections
administrator, as appropriate, to hold a primary election in a
county in which:
(1) the office of county chair is vacant and there is
an insufficient number of members serving on the county executive
committee to fill a vacancy on the committee; and
(2) the party is unable to establish a temporary
executive committee under Section 171.027.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.
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