H.B. No. 2358

	AN ACT
	relating to eligible voters in a confirmation election for a
	conservation and reclamation district.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 49, Water Code, is amended
	by adding Section 49.1025 to read as follows:
	Sec. 49.1025.  QUALIFIED VOTERS IN CONFIRMATION ELECTION.
	(a)  In this section, "developer of property in the district" has
	the meaning assigned by Section 49.052(d).
	(b)  A voter in a confirmation election or an election held
	jointly with a confirmation election on the same date and in
	conjunction with the confirmation election to authorize taxes and
	bonds must be a qualified voter of the district.  For the purposes
	of an election described by this subsection, a person is not a
	qualified voter if the person:
	(1)  on the date of the election:
	(A)  is a developer of property in the district;
	(B)  is related within the third degree of
	affinity or consanguinity to a developer of property in the
	district;
	(C)  is an employee of a developer of property in
	the district; or
	(D)  has resided in the district less than 30
	days; or
	(2)  received monetary consideration from a developer
	of property in the district in exchange for the person's vote.
	(c)  In addition to the procedures for accepting a voter
	under Section 63.001, Election Code, the election officer shall
	provide to the voter the form of the affidavit required by this
	section.  The election officer must receive a completed affidavit
	before marking the voter as accepted under Section 63.001(e),
	Election Code.  If the voter does not submit a completed affidavit
	to the election officer or the information stated on the affidavit
	demonstrates the voter is not a qualified voter as provided by this
	section, the voter may be accepted only to vote provisionally under
	Section 63.011, Election Code.
	(d)  The district shall submit original or certified copies
	of voter affidavits to the office of the attorney general in a
	transcript of the proceedings of the confirmation election.
	(e)  The office of the attorney general shall prescribe the
	form of the voter affidavit.
	(f)  The voter affidavit must require the voter to state
	under oath:
	(1)  the address of the voter and that the voter resides
	in the territory of the district;
	(2)  the date the voter changed the voter's residence to
	the address provided under Subdivision (1); and
	(3)  that the voter, to the best of the voter's
	knowledge, believes that the voter's registration is effective on
	the date of the election.
	(g)  The affidavit must include the following statement:
	"I am not a developer of property in the district, related within
	the third degree of affinity or consanguinity to a developer of
	property in the district, or an employee of a developer of property
	in the district.  I have not received monetary consideration from a
	developer of property in the district for my vote in this election."
	(h)  Compliance with this section or the validity of a voter
	affidavit may only be challenged in an election contest under Title
	14, Election Code.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2018.
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 2358 was passed by the House on May 9,
	2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 143, Nays 2, 2 present, not
	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
	No. 2358 on May 26, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 138, Nays 5,
	2 present, not voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.B. No. 2358 was passed by the Senate, with
	amendments, on May 24, 2017, by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays
	1.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor