By: Toth H.B. No. 143
 
 
 
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, 2023, change the date on which
  the governing body holds its general election for officers to that
  date. This subsection expires January 1, 2027.
         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:
               (1)  pay a filing fee to the secretary of state for a
  statewide, [or] district, or school district office or the county
  judge for a county or precinct office; or
               (2)  submit to the secretary of state for a statewide,
  [or] district, or school district office or the county judge for a
  county or precinct office a petition in lieu of a filing fee that
  satisfies the requirements prescribed by Subsection (e) and Section
  141.062.
         SECTION 14.  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)  the state chair, for a statewide, [or] district,
  or school district office; or
               (2)  the county chair, for a county or precinct office.
         SECTION 15.  Sections 181.061(b) and (c), Election Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A party nominating by convention must make its
  nominations for offices of districts and school districts situated
  in more than one county at district conventions held on the second
  Saturday after the second Tuesday in March. A district convention
  consists of delegates selected at the county conventions held under
  Subsection (c).
         (c)  A party nominating by convention must make its
  nominations for county and precinct offices and for offices of
  districts and school districts not situated in more than one county
  at county conventions held on the first Saturday after the second
  Tuesday in March. A county convention consists of delegates
  selected at precinct conventions held on the second Tuesday in
  March in the regular county election precincts.
         SECTION 16.  Sections 11.054 and 11.065(c), Education Code,
  are repealed.
         SECTION 17.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act.
  An election ordered before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 18.  This Act takes effect immediately if it
  receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
  house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
  effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of
  legislative session.