HB2253

The introduced bill would have allowed disaster-related cancellation of elections on measures generally and required a new election on the next available uniform election day for certain petition-triggered measures. The House committee substitute narrowed the new authority to bond measures, added the threat-to-residents and specific necessity findings, and added the open-meeting/public-observation provisions. It removed the proposed automatic rescheduling provision. The final act therefore does not itself direct a replacement election on that schedule. Introduced text; House committee substitute; final text.

The House committee, engrossed, Senate committee and enrolled versions have the same substantive provisions. The official amendment index lists no amendments; the House substitute should not be described as a floor amendment. Text-version index; amendment index.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Election workers and voters may avoid unsafe conditions, and affected authorities gain a limited way to stop a bond vote when a disaster damages election operations or threatens people. Voters lose the opportunity to decide that measure at the canceled election, and projects dependent on voter-approved borrowing may be delayed. Officials must satisfy the timing, vote, meeting and notice requirements; this law does not itself authorize issuing bonds or impose a new tax. Final law.

The Legislative Budget Board’s May 21, 2025 engrossed fiscal note anticipates no significant state or local-government fiscal effect and assumes implementation costs can use existing resources. The introduced and House-substitute notes reach the same conclusion. The notes do not quantify election savings, replacement-election costs or financial effects of delaying a particular project. Latest indexed fiscal note.