HBA-CMT, JEK H.B. 1496 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1496
By: Farabee
Elections
2/25/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, specific-purpose committees formed to support certain candidates
or assist certain officeholders are not required to have a candidate's or
officeholder's written authorization to use that person's name. There is a
possibility that persons contributing to such a committee could be under
the mistaken impression that a particular candidate has sanctioned the use
of the candidate's name.  House Bill 1496 requires specific-purpose
committees that are formed to support a candidate or assist an officeholder
to have the candidate's or officeholder's written authorization to use the
officeholder's or candidate's name. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1496 amends the Election Code to prohibit the name of a
specific-purpose committee for supporting a certain candidate or assisting
a certain officeholder from including the name of the candidate or
officeholder the committee supports or assists unless the candidate or
officeholder authorizes the use of the name in writing.  The bill provides
that this authorization or a new committee name that does not include the
candidate's or officeholder's name must be filed with the  appropriate
authority no later than October 1, 2001.   

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.