HBA-CBW S.B. 1464 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1464 By: Nelson Elections 5/5/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law requires a person circulating a petition for a candidate's place on a ballot to read certain statements in the petition to each person who signs it and requires each part of a petition to include an affidavit of the person who circulated it stating that the person pointed out and read certain statements to each signer. Many petitioners do not comply with these requirements because they are difficult and timeconsuming to meet. Senate Bill 1464 provides that a person circulating a petition must only be present when each signature is obtained and must include in the petition an affidavit attesting to that fact. 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 Senate Bill 1464 amends the Election Code to provide that a person circulating a petition in connection with a candidate's application for a place on a ballot for public office must be present when each signature is obtained rather than, before permitting a person to sign, point out and read to the person each statement pertaining to the signer that appears on the petition. The bill also provides that each part of the petition must include an affidavit of the person who circulated it stating that the person was present when each signature was obtained, rather than stating that the person pointed out and read to each signer, before the petition was signed, each statement pertaining to the signer that appears on the petition. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.