CLASSIFICATION OF DUTIES BY SECRETARY OF STATE

(a) The secretary of state shall adopt rules consistent with Sections 31.043 and 31.044 that classify the duties and functions placed on the county clerk by statutes outside this code according to whether they are to be performed by the county elections administrator or by the county clerk. (b) If the administrator or county clerk of a county having the position of administrator is uncertain as to which person should perform a duty or function that the secretary has not classified, the person shall request the secretary to classify that duty or function, and the secretary shall comply with the request as soon as practicable. (c) The secretary shall deliver a copy of each rule proposed under this section to the administrator and to the county clerk of each county having the position of administrator not later than the fifth day after the date notice of the proposal is published in the Texas Register and shall deliver a copy of each adopted rule to those persons not later than the fifth day after the date the certified copy of the rule is filed in the secretary's office. Failure to comply with this subsection does not affect the validity of a rule. (d) On receiving notice of the creation of the position of administrator in a county, the secretary shall deliver to the county clerk a current set of the rules adopted under this section. On receiving notice of the initial appointment of the administrator, the secretary shall deliver a set of the rules to the administrator. (e) The secretary may, on 30 days' notice, adopt a rule classifying a duty or function if the rule is needed in a shorter time than provided by the regular rulemaking process. The rule is considered an emergency rule for purposes of Chapter 2001, Government Code. The secretary is not required to give notice of the proposed rule under Subsection (c), but the secretary must give notice of the rule's adoption under that subsection.