HB955 - Relating to a requirement that an election for a member of a board of trustees of an independent school district is partisan.

      By: Toth H.B. No. 955       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to a requirement that an election for a member of a board   of trustees of an independent school district is partisan.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 11.055, Education Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:           (c)     An application filed under this section must state the   political party with which the candidate is aligned or, if the   candidate is not aligned with a party, state that fact.          SECTION 2.  Section 11.0581(a), Education Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  An election for trustees of an independent school   district shall be held on the same date as the general election for   state and county officers [ :                [ (1)     the election for the members of the governing   body of a municipality located in the school district;                [ (2)     the general election for state and county   officers;                [ (3)     the election for the members of the governing   body of a hospital district, if the school district:                      [ (A)     is wholly or partly located in a county with   a population of less than 40,000 that is adjacent to a county with a   population of more than three million; and                      [ (B)     held its election for trustees jointly with   the election for the members of the governing body of the hospital   district before May 2007; or                [ (4)     the election for the members of the governing   board of a public junior college district in which the school   district is wholly or partly located ].          SECTION 3.  Section 11.059, Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 11.059.  TERMS.  (a)  A trustee of an independent   school district serves a term of [ three or ] four years.          (b)  [ Elections for trustees with three-year terms shall be   held annually.   The terms of one-third of the trustees, or as near   to one-third as possible, expire each year.          [ (c) ]  Elections for trustees [ with four-year terms ] shall   be held biennially.  The terms of one-half of the trustees, or as   near to one-half as possible, expire every two years.           (c)  [ (d) ]  A board policy must state the schedule on which   specific terms expire.          SECTION 4.  Section 11.065(a), Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (a)  Sections 11.052(g) and (h) [ and Sections 11.059(a) and   (b) ] do not apply to the board of trustees of a school district if:                (1)  the district's central administrative office is   located in a county with a population of more than two million; and                (2)  the district's student enrollment is more than   125,000 and less than 200,000.          SECTION 5.  Section 41.0052, Election Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (a-2) to read as follows:           (a-2)     The governing body of an independent school district   that holds its general election for officers on a date other than   the date of the general election for state and county officers   shall, not later than December 31, 2025, change the date on which   the governing body holds its general election for officers to that   date.   This subsection expires January 1, 2029.          SECTION 6.  Section 144.001, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 144.001.  APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER.   (a) Except as   provided by Subsection (b), this [ This ] chapter applies to a   candidate for an office of a political subdivision other than a city   or county.           (b)     This chapter does not apply to a candidate for a member   of the board of trustees of an independent school district.          SECTION 7.  Section 172.001, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 172.001.  NOMINATING BY PRIMARY ELECTION REQUIRED.     Except as otherwise provided by this code, a political party's   nominees in the general election for members of the board of   trustees of an independent school district, offices of state and   county government , and offices of the United States Congress must   be nominated by primary election, held as provided by this code, if   the party's nominee for governor in the most recent gubernatorial   general election received 20 percent or more of the total number of   votes received by all candidates for governor in the election.          SECTION 8.  Section 172.002(a), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (a)  Except as otherwise provided by this code, a political   party's nominees in the general election for members of the board of   trustees of an independent school district, offices of state and   county government , and offices of the United States Congress may be   nominated by primary election, held as provided by this code, if the   party's nominee for governor in the most recent gubernatorial   general election received at least two percent but less than 20   percent of the total number of votes received by all candidates for   governor in the election.          SECTION 9.  Section 172.024(a), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (a)  The filing fee for a candidate for nomination in the   general primary election is as follows:                (1)  United States senator $5,000                (2)  office elected statewide, except United States   senator 3,750                (3)  United States representative 3,125                (4)  state senator 1,250                (5)  state representative 750                (6)  member, State Board of Education 300                (7)  chief justice or justice, court of appeals, other   than a justice specified by Subdivision (8) 1,875                (8)  chief justice or justice of a court of appeals that   serves a court of appeals district in which a county with a   population of more than one million is wholly or partly situated   2,500                (9)  district judge or judge specified by Section   52.092(d) for which this schedule does not otherwise prescribe a   fee 1,500                (10)  district or criminal district judge of a court in   a judicial district wholly contained in a county with a population   of more than 1.5 million 2,500                (11)  judge, statutory county court, other than a judge   specified by Subdivision (12) 1,500                (12)  judge of a statutory county court in a county with   a population of more than 1.5 million 2,500                (13)  district attorney, criminal district attorney,   or county attorney performing the duties of a district attorney   1,250                (14)  county commissioner, district clerk, county   clerk, sheriff, county tax assessor-collector, county treasurer,   or judge, constitutional county court:                      (A)  county with a population of 200,000 or more   1,250                      (B)  county with a population of under 200,000   750                (15)  justice of the peace or constable:                      (A)  county with a population of 200,000 or more   1,000                      (B)  county with a population of under 200,000   375                (16)  county surveyor 75                (17)   member of the board of trustees of an independent   school district 75                 (18)   office of the county government for which this   schedule does not otherwise prescribe a fee 750          SECTION 10.  Section 172.025, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 172.025.  NUMBER OF PETITION SIGNATURES REQUIRED.  The   minimum number of signatures that must appear on the petition   authorized by Section 172.021(b) is:                (1)  5,000, for a statewide office; or                (2)  for a district, county, independent school   district, or precinct office, the lesser of:                      (A)  500; or                      (B)  two percent of the total vote received in the   district, county, school district, or precinct, as applicable, by   all the candidates for governor in the most recent gubernatorial   general election, unless that number is under 50, in which case the   required number of signatures is the lesser of:                            (i)  50; or                            (ii)  20 percent of that total vote.          SECTION 11.  Section 181.002, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 181.002.  NOMINATING BY CONVENTION AUTHORIZED.  A   political party may make nominations for the general election for   state and county officers and members of the board of trustees of an   independent school district by convention, as provided by this   chapter, if the party is authorized by Section 172.002 to make   nominations by primary election.          SECTION 12.  Section 181.003, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 181.003.  NOMINATING BY CONVENTION REQUIRED.  A   political party must make nominations for the general election for   state and county officers and members of the board of trustees of an   independent school district by convention, as provided by this   chapter, if the party is not required or authorized to nominate by   primary election.          SECTION 13.  Section 181.0311(a), Election Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  In addition to any other requirements, to be considered   for nomination by convention, a candidate must:    &#xA [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]