Relating to prohibiting a person required to register as a sex offender from serving as a member of the board of trustees of an independent school district.

Contracts

• Election Services Agreements: If your ISD contracts with a County Elections Administrator to conduct elections, you must verify they have updated their candidate filing forms to comply with HB3629. Do not allow vendors to use outdated stock forms.

Hiring/Training

• Filing Authority Training: Board Secretaries and administrative staff responsible for accepting ballot applications must be trained to verify that the new eligibility statement is present and signed.
• Appointment Vetting: For filling mid-term vacancies, the Board must integrate a check of the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry into the vetting process for potential appointees.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Candidate Applications: You must revise the "Application for a Place on the Ballot." The form must now include a statement where the candidate swears they are aware that a person required to register as a sex offender is ineligible to serve.
• Verification Logs: Establish a protocol to document that a sex offender registry check was performed for all candidates and appointees, retaining these logs for liability protection.

Fees & Costs

• Legal Review: Minimal costs associated with legal counsel drafting the addendum for ballot applications.
• No New Fees: There are no new filing fees associated with this legislation.