Bill > HB1197

This bill transforms elections for independent school district board trustees by making them partisan, requiring candidates to declare their political party affiliation (or lack thereof) when filing an application, and integrating these elections into the broader political party nomination processes. Specifically, the bill mandates that independent school district board trustee elections will now be held on the same date as the general election for state and county officers, and candidates must state their political party alignment on their application. The legislation also modifies existing election codes to include independent school district trustee elections in primary election nomination procedures, convention nomination processes, and filing fee requirements. Additionally, the bill standardizes election timing by requiring independent school districts that currently hold elections on different dates to change their election date to the general election date by December 31, 2025. These changes aim to increase transparency and align school district elections more closely with broader political election processes, with the new provisions set to take effect on September 1, 2025, and apply only to elections ordered on or after that date.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1197