HBA-TYH C.S.H.B. 1068 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1068 By: McReynolds Elections 4/19/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Section 255.006 (Misleading Use of Office Title), Election Code, requires candidates seeking an office that they do not currently hold to use the word "for" in all their political advertising. This legislation, passed during the 75th Legislative Session, was meant to make clear to the voters which candidates currently hold the office they seek and which do not. In practice, candidates have circumvented the new provision by making the word "for" illegibly small in their campaign advertising. This makes it difficult for the voters to discern whether or not the candidate currently holds the office he or she is seeking. C.S.H.B. 1068 requires the candidates who are seeking an office that they currently do not hold to print the word "for" in their campaign advertising in a type size that is at least one-half the type size used for the name of the office. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 255.006(c), Election Code, to provide that a candidates seeking an office not currently held by the candidate needs to print the word "for" in their campaign advertising in a type size that is at least one-half the type size used for the name of the office. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute modifies the original bill in SECTION 1 by changing the font size requirement from a type size that is the same size as the name of the office to a type size that is at least one-half the type size used for the name of the office. The font size requirement is applicable to a candidate who is seeking an office not currently held by the candidate and who is required to print the word "for" in campaign advertising, to make clear that the candidate does not currently hold the office being sought.