HBA-CMT H.B. 1598 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1598 By: Danburg Elections 4/4/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current Texas election law authorizes forwarding agents to handle applications for early voting by mail as well as the balloting materials mailed to applicants. Complaints have been made to the secretary of state's office alleging abuse of this system. House Bill 1598 prohibits the mailing of balloting materials to the address of a forwarding agent. 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 2 (Section 86.003, Elections Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS House Bill 1598 amends the Election Code to provide that an early voting ballot application must include the address outside the applicant's county of residence to which the mail-in ballot is to be mailed for receipt of the applicant if the ballot is to be voted by mail on the ground of absence from the county of residence. If a voter is absent from the county of residence at the time of election, the address to which balloting materials for voting by mail are sent must be an address outside the voter's county of residence that is not an address of a forwarding agent. The bill requires the secretary of state to prescribe any necessary rules to describe a forwarding agent for purposes of the bill. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.