HBA-RBT H.B. 1545 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1545
By: Danburg
Elections
2/22/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require the election process to be
accessible to voters with disabilities.  H.B. 1545 requires polling places
to conform with the Texas Accessibility Standards which have been certified
by the U.S. Department of Justice as meeting the ADA guidelines. 
 
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 the heading of Section 43.034, Election Code, as follows:

Sec.  43.034.  New title: ACCESSIBILITY OF POLLING PLACE TO THE ELDERLY AND
PERSONS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.  Deletes "physically handicapped" from
existing title. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 43.034(a), Election Code, to provide that
polling places must comply with the standards established under Article
9102, V.T.C.S. (Architectural Barriers).  Increases the minimum width of an
elevator that makes a polling place accessible from 30 inches to 36 inches.
Increases the minimum width of doors, entrances, and exits used to enter or
leave polling places from 30 inches to 32 inches.  Makes conforming and
nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 174.022(d), Election Code, to make conforming
and nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.