81R5710 JRJ-D
By: Bohac H.B. No. 1414
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requiring a voter to present proof of identification.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 63.001, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (b), (c), (d), and (f) and adding Subsections
(g) and (h) to read as follows:
(b) On offering to vote, a voter must present to an election
officer at the polling place the voter's voter registration
certificate and either:
(1) one form of identification listed in Section
63.0101(a); or
(2) two different forms of identification listed in
Section 63.0101(b) [to an election officer at the polling place].
(c) On presentation of the documentation required by
Subsection (b) [a registration certificate], an election officer
shall determine whether the voter's name on the registration
certificate is on the list of registered voters for the precinct.
(d) If the voter's name is on the precinct list of
registered voters and the voter's identity can be verified from the
documentation presented under Subsection (b), the voter shall be
accepted for voting.
(f) After determining whether to accept a voter, an election
officer shall return the voter's documentation [registration
certificate] to the voter.
(g) If the requirements for identification prescribed by
Subsection (b) are not met, the voter may be accepted for
provisional voting only under Section 63.011.
(h) The requirements for identification prescribed by
Subsection (b)(1) or (2) do not apply to a voter who:
(1) presents the voter's voter registration
certificate on offering to vote; and
(2) is 65 years of age or older as indicated by the
date of birth on the voter's voter registration certificate.
SECTION 2. Section 63.006(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) A voter who, when offering to vote, presents a voter
registration certificate indicating that the voter is currently
registered in the precinct in which the voter is offering to vote,
but whose name is not on the precinct list of registered voters,
shall be accepted for voting if the voter's identity can be verified
from the documentation presented under Section 63.001(b).
SECTION 3. Section 63.007(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) A voter who, when offering to vote, presents a voter
registration certificate indicating that the voter is currently
registered in a different precinct from the one in which the voter
is offering to vote, and whose name is not on the precinct list of
registered voters, shall be accepted for voting if the voter's
identity can be verified from the documentation presented under
Section 63.001(b) and the voter executes an affidavit stating that
the voter:
(1) is a resident of the precinct in which the voter is
offering to vote or is otherwise entitled by law to vote in that
precinct;
(2) was a resident of the precinct in which the voter
is offering to vote at the time that information on the voter's
residence address was last provided to the voter registrar;
(3) did not deliberately provide false information to
secure registration in a precinct in which the voter does not
reside; and
(4) is voting only once in the election.
SECTION 4. Section 63.008(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) A voter who does not present a voter registration
certificate when offering to vote, but whose name is on the list of
registered voters for the precinct in which the voter is offering to
vote, shall be accepted for voting if the voter executes an
affidavit stating that the voter does not have the voter's voter
registration certificate in the voter's possession at the polling
place at the time of offering to vote and the voter's identity can
be verified from the identification presented under Section
63.001(b)(1) or (2) [voter presents proof of identification in a
form described by Section 63.0101].
SECTION 5. Section 63.0101, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 63.0101. DOCUMENTATION OF PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION.
(a) The following documentation is an acceptable form [as proof] of
photo identification under this chapter:
(1) a driver's license or personal identification card
issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not
expired or that expired no earlier than two years before the date of
presentation [or a similar document issued to the person by an
agency of another state, regardless of whether the license or card
has expired];
(2) a United States military identification card that
contains the person's photograph [form of identification
containing the person's photograph that establishes the person's
identity];
(3) a valid employee identification card that contains
the person's photograph and is issued by an employer of the person
in the ordinary course of the employer's business [birth
certificate or other document confirming birth that is admissible
in a court of law and establishes the person's identity];
(4) a United States citizenship certificate [papers]
issued to the person that contains the person's photograph;
(5) a United States passport issued to the person;
(6) a student identification card issued by a public
or private institution of higher education located in Texas that
contains the person's photograph [official mail addressed to the
person by name from a governmental entity]; or
(7) a license to carry a concealed handgun issued to
the person by the Department of Public Safety.
(b) The following documentation is acceptable as proof of
identification under this chapter:
(1) a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement,
government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows
the name and address of the voter;
(2) official mail addressed to the person by name from
a governmental entity;
(3) a certified copy of a birth certificate or other
document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of law and
establishes the person's identity;
(4) United States citizenship papers issued to the
person;
(5) an original or certified copy of the person's
marriage license or divorce decree;
(6) court records of the person's adoption, name
change, or sex change;
(7) an identification card issued to the person by a
governmental entity of this state or the United States for the
purpose of obtaining public benefits, including veteran's
benefits, Medicaid, or Medicare;
(8) a temporary driving permit issued to the person by
the Department of Public Safety;
(9) a pilot's license issued to the person by the
Federal Aviation Administration or another authorized agency of the
United States;
(10) a library card that contains the person's name
issued to the person by a public library located in this state; or
(11) a hunting or fishing license issued to a person by
the Parks and Wildlife Department [or
[(8) any other form of identification prescribed by
the secretary of state].
SECTION 6. Sections 63.011(a) and (b), Election Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(a) A person to whom Section 63.001(g), 63.008(b), or
63.009(a) applies may cast a provisional ballot if the person
executes an affidavit stating that the person:
(1) is a registered voter in the precinct in which the
person seeks to vote; and
(2) is eligible to vote in the election.
(b) A form for an affidavit required by this section must
[shall] be printed on an envelope in which the provisional ballot
voted by the person may be placed and must include a space for
entering the identification number of the provisional ballot voted
by the person and a space for an election officer to indicate
whether the person presented proof of identification as required by
Section 63.001(b)(1) or (2). The affidavit form may include space
for disclosure of any necessary information to enable the person to
register to vote under Chapter 13. The secretary of state shall
prescribe the form of the affidavit under this section.
SECTION 7. Section 65.054(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) A provisional ballot may be accepted only if:
(1) the board determines that, from the information in
the affidavit or contained in public records, the person is
eligible to vote in the election and has not previously voted in
that election; and
(2) the voter presents proof of identification as
required by Section 63.001(b)(1) or (2):
(A) at the time the ballot was cast; or
(B) in the period prescribed under Section
65.0541.
SECTION 8. Subchapter B, Chapter 65, Election Code, is
amended by adding Section 65.0541 to read as follows:
Sec. 65.0541. PRESENTATION OF IDENTIFICATION FOR CERTAIN
PROVISIONAL BALLOTS. (a) A voter who is accepted for provisional
voting under Section 63.011 because the voter does not present
proof of identification as required by Section 63.001(b)(1) or (2)
may, not later than the 10th business day after the date of the
election, present proof of identification to the voter registrar
for examination by the early voting ballot board.
(b) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures as
necessary to implement this section.
SECTION 9. Section 521.422, Transportation Code, is amended
by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
follows:
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the [The] fee for
a personal identification certificate is:
(1) $15 for a person under 60 years of age;
(2) $5 for a person 60 years of age or older; and
(3) $20 for a person subject to the registration
requirements under Chapter 62, Code of Criminal Procedure.
(d) The department may not collect a fee for a personal
identification certificate issued to a person who executes an
affidavit stating that the person is financially unable to pay the
required fee and:
(1) who is a registered voter in this state and
presents a valid voter registration certificate; or
(2) who is eligible for registration under Section
13.001, Election Code, and submits a registration application to
the department.
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.