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


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1068
By: McReynolds
Elections
3/27/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Section 255.006 (Misleading Use of Office Title), Election Code, requires
candidates seeking an office that they do not currently hold 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 makes it
difficult for the voters to discern whether or not the candidate currently
holds the office he or she is 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 the same size font as that used to
describe the office they are seeking. 

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 the
candidates who are seeking an office that they currently do not hold need
to print the word "for" in their campaign advertising in the same size type
as the name of the office they are seeking. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.