HB4199 - Relating to requiring the partisan elections of officers for each political subdivision of this state in even-numbered years.

  89R14168 AB-D     By: Schatzline H.B. No. 4199       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to requiring the partisan elections of officers for each   political subdivision of this state in even-numbered years.          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 50,000 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.  Sections 11.059(a), (b), (c), and (d), Education   Code, are amended to read as follows:          (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 2.5 million; and                (2)  the district's student enrollment is more than   125,000 and less than 200,000.          SECTION 5.  Section 1.005(7), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:                (7)  "General election for state and county officers"   means the general election at which officers of the federal, state,   and county governments , and the officers of each political   subdivision, are elected.          SECTION 6.  Section 41.005(b), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (b)  If a law outside this code requires the general election   for officers of a political subdivision to be held on a date other   than the date of the general election for state and county officers     [ a uniform election date ], the governing body of the political   subdivision shall set the election date to comply with this   subchapter.          SECTION 7.  Section 41.0052(a), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (a)  The governing body of a political subdivision[ , other   than a county or municipal utility district, ] that holds its   general election for officers on a date other than the [ November   uniform election ] date of the general election for state and county   officers shall [ may ], not later than December 31, 2025 [ 2016 ],   change the date on which it holds its general election for officers   to that [ the November uniform election ] date.          SECTION 8.  Chapter 143, Election Code, is amended by adding   Section 143.0011 to read as follows:           Sec.   143.0011.     PARTISAN CANDIDACY REQUIRED. (a) A   candidate must declare a party affiliation to run for a city office.           (b)     A candidate's party affiliation must appear on the   ballot next to the candidate's name.   The candidate's party   affiliation must be with a political party that has held a primary   election or nominating convention in this state within the five   years immediately preceding the date on which the election for   which the candidate is applying for a place on the ballot is to be   held.          SECTION 9.  The heading to Section 143.003, Election Code,   is amended to read as follows:          Sec. 143.003.  PARTISAN NOMINATION [ CANDIDACY ] FOR   HOME-RULE CITY OFFICE AUTHORIZED.          SECTION 10.  Section 143.004, Election Code, is amended by   adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:           (c)     An application must state the political party with which   the candidate is aligned or, if the candidate is not aligned with a   political party with which the candidate may affiliate under   Section 143.0011(b), state that fact.          SECTION 11.  Chapter 144, Election Code, is amended by   adding Section 144.0021 to read as follows:           Sec.   144.0021.     PARTISAN CANDIDACY REQUIRED. A candidate   must declare a party affiliation to run for office. A candidate's   party affiliation must appear on the ballot next to the candidate's   name.   The candidate's party affiliation must be with a political   party that has held a primary election or nominating convention in   this state within the five years immediately preceding the date on   which the election for which the candidate is applying for a place   on the ballot is to be held.            SECTION 12.  Section 172.001, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 172.001.  NOMINATING BY PRIMARY ELECTION REQUIRED. A   [ Except as otherwise provided by this code, a ] political party's   nominees in the general election for offices of state and county   government , [ and ] the United States Congress , and any political   subdivision 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 13.  Section 172.002(a), Election Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)   A [ Except as otherwise provided by this code, a ]   political party's nominees in the general election for offices of   state and county government , [ and ] the United States Congress , and   any political subdivision 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 14.  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   senator3,750                (3)  United States representative3,125                (4)  state senator1,250                (5)  state representative750                (6)  member, State Board of Education300                (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 1.2 million is wholly or partly   situated2,500                (9)  district judge or judge specified by Section   52.092(d) for which this schedule does not otherwise prescribe a   fee1,500                (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 million2,500                (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 million2,500                (13)  district attorney, criminal district attorney,   or county attorney performing the duties of a district   attorney1,250                (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   more1,250                      (B)  county with a population of under 200,000750                (15)  justice of the peace or constable:                      (A)  county with a population of 200,000 or   more1,000                      (B)  county with a population of under 200,000375                (16)  county surveyor75                (17)  office of the county government for which this   schedule does not otherwise prescribe a fee750                 (18)     office of a political subdivision other than a   county for which this schedule does not otherwise prescribe a fee 0          SECTION 15.  Section 181.032(a), Election Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  An application for nomination by a convention must be   filed with:                (1) & [Text truncated for display. 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