HBA-BSM H.B. 1117 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1117
By: Goodman
Judicial Affairs
2/23/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law does not require a candidate for the Texas Supreme Court or
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to file signatures with the filing fee for
a place on the general primary election ballot for either court.  House
Bill 1117 requires that candidates submit 100 signatures of registered
voters from each senatorial district with the filing fee.  If candidates
for these offices submit 100 signatures from each senatorial district, it
would indicate a measure of statewide and regional support for their
candidacy. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1117 amends the Election Code to provide that judicial
candidates for positions on the  supreme court or the court of criminal
appeals who choose to pay the filing fee must also accompany the
application with a petition with a minimum of 100 signatures from each
state senatorial district. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.