HBA-JEK C.S.H.B. 1419 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1419 By: Jones, Jesse Elections 3/26/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The close outcomes of several recent elections suggest that a review of the current election process to determine the accuracy of voting systems may be appropriate in the near future. C.S.H.B. 1419 requires the secretary of state to reexamine the voting system of each county in Texas and to study the effectiveness of adopting a uniform voting system statewide, and study innovative voting technologies and approaches to voting. 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 of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1419 requires the secretary of state to reexamine the voting system of each county to determine whether the voting system complies with applicable standards prescribed by law. The bill requires the secretary of state to study the effectiveness of adopting a uniform voting system and to study and evaluate the potential for implementing innovative voting technologies and approaches to voting in this state. C.S.H.B. 1419 requires the secretary of state to issue a report not later than December 1, 2002, that summarizes conclusions and recommendations for legislation. The bill requires the secretary of state to promptly deliver copies of the report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives, and authorizes the secretary of state to adopt rules necessary to implement these provisions. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1419 removes the provision in the original which provided that the study by the secretary of state must include a statistical analysis of the number of undervotes and overvotes attributed to the use of a particular system. The substitute requires the secretary of state to reexamine, rather than study, the voting system of each county, and to study innovative voting technologies and approaches to voting.