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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