HBA-RBT H.B. 1546 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1546 By: Danburg Elections 2/22/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require the election process to be accessible to voters with disabilities. H.B. 1546 requires the secretary of state to prescribe rules to enable a visually impaired voter to cast a secret ballot. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the secretary of state in SECTION 1 (Section 52.096, Election Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 52, Election Code, by adding Section 52.096, as follows: Sec. 52.096. ACCOMMODATION FOR VOTERS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS. Requires the secretary of state to prescribe procedures to allow for the rotation of the order of parties, names, and propositions on the ballot to enable a voter with a visual impairment to cast a secret ballot. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.