2025 · Regular session · House bill
HB640
HB640 defines a “regular business day,” for the election-office-hours rule, as a day when the main business office of the county, city or other political subdivision is regularly open.
Official caption: Relating to the office hours of an election authority during an election period.
Official report lists House author(s): Bumgarner, Bucy, Shaheen, Isaac, DeAyala. This does not identify sponsors or amendment drafters.
Bill explanation published · Version and amendment review scope is stated below · Individual amendment records may not be separately annotated.
Bill highlights
Selected points from the published explanation. Follow each point to its source-linked context; conditions and limits may matter.
- HB640 defines a “regular business day,” for the election-office-hours rule, as a day when the main business office of the county, city or other political subdivision is regularly open.
- The surrounding rule still requires covered election authorities to maintain at least three hours of office access for election duties during regular office hours on those business days.
What does it do?
HB640 defines a “regular business day,” for the election-office-hours rule, as a day when the main business office of the county, city or other political subdivision is regularly open. Previously, that express definition applied only to independent school districts. The governor signed the bill June 20, 2025; it took effect September 1, 2025. Final law; history.
The surrounding rule still requires covered election authorities to maintain at least three hours of office access for election duties during regular office hours on those business days. The period begins no later than the 50th day before a general election, or the third day after a special election is ordered, and ends no earlier than the 40th day after election day. Existing provisions allow certain noncounty/noncity authorities to appoint an agent who maintains the required hours. HB640 changes the business-day definition, not these hours or dates, and does not change when polls are open for voting. Election Code Sections 31.122–31.123.
What changed along the way?
The introduced, House committee, engrossed, Senate committee and enrolled texts have identical operative provisions. Both committees reported without amendments; the official amendment index lists none. The extension of the definition beyond school districts was in the original proposal. Introduced bill; version index; amendment index.
For the full amendment record, open the official amendment index.
Official bill versions
Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.
Who could benefit—and who could bear the costs?
Local election administrators gain a uniform reference for which business days trigger the office-access duty. People filing election documents or inspecting records must account for the local government’s regular business calendar. The change does not promise that every election office will open on every weekday or provide extra voting hours.
The Legislative Budget Board anticipated no state fiscal implication and no significant local fiscal implication. It did not quantify staffing savings or changes in public access. Engrossed fiscal note, May 21, 2025.
Official sources
- Bill history and latest recorded action
- Bill versions, analyses and fiscal notes
- Action history and votes
- Amendment index
Catalog report retrieved 2026-10-25. Check the official record for corrections or later changes.