HBA-CMT H.B. 1599 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1599
By: Danburg
Elections
3/27/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

During the recent presidential election in Florida, the losing candidate
asked for a recount in selected counties that may have given that candidate
an advantage in the recount.  Current Texas law allows the loser of an
election to petition for a recount and select which precincts are to be
recounted.  House Bill 1599 allows the winning candidate to also select
precincts for recount if an election recount petition is approved. 

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 1599 amends the Election Code to authorize a candidate shown to
be nominated or elected to an office in an election for which there is a
final canvass at the state level to obtain an initial recount if an
opposing candidate's initial recount petition is approved for a recount
that is required to include all the election precincts in which a
particular voting system is used in each county recounted and that does not
include all voting system precincts in the election.  

The bill requires a petition for a winning candidate in response to an
opposing candidate's petition to be submitted no later than 48 hours after
receipt of the notice of approval for a recount. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.