HBA-DMD, TYH H.B. 1068 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1068
By: McReynolds
Elections
9/15/1999
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Prior to the 76th Legislature, Section 255.006 (Misleading Use of Office
Title), Election Code, required candidates who were seeking an office for
which they were not the incumbent to use the word "for" in all their
political advertising.  This legislation, passed during the 75th
Legislative Session, was meant to make clear to the voters which candidates
currently hold the office they seek and which do not.  In practice,
candidates have circumvented the new provision by making the word "for"
illegibly small in their campaign advertising.  This made it difficult for
the voters to discern whether or not the candidate held the office he or
she was seeking.  H.B. 1068 requires the candidates who are seeking an
office that they currently do not hold to print the word "for" in their
campaign advertising in a type size that is at least one-half the type size
used for the name of the office. 

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. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 255.006(c), Election Code, to provide that a
candidate seeking an office not currently held by the candidate needs to
print the word "for" in campaign advertising in a type size that is at
least one-half the type size used for the name of the office. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.