HBA-TBM C.S.H.B. 2922 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2922 By: Jones, Jesse Elections 4/1/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The rights of the average voter are held sacred in our democratic society. However, the election process may confer power on specific persons and groups of people. As such, the state should ensure that the rights of voters are protected. C.S.H.B. 2922 establishes a hotline for the reporting of an existing or potential abuse of voter rights. 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 C.S.H.B. 2922 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to establish a toll-free telephone number to allow a person to report an existing or potential abuse of voting rights. A notice informing voters of the telephone number and the purpose for the number is required to be continuously posted in a prominent location at each polling place during the early voting period and on election day for each election held on a uniform election date. The bill requires the secretary of state to prescribe the form for the notice. The secretary of state is required to establish a toll-free telephone number and prescribe the form for the notice informing voters about the number on or before November 1, 2001. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 2922 differs from the original by specifying that the required notice of the voting rights hotline is required to be posted on election day only for each election held on a uniform election date.