Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB4389 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R29431 ALB-D
2	2	By: Farias H.B. No. 4389
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4389:
4	4	By: Rose C.S.H.B. No. 4389
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to procedures and forms for combining health and human
10	10	services benefits applications with voter registration
11	11	applications.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Chapter 20, Election Code, is amended by adding
14	14	Subchapter F to read as follows:
15	15	SUBCHAPTER F. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION AND HEALTH AND
16	16	HUMAN SERVICES AGENCIES
17	17	Sec. 20.151. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
18	18	(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services
19	19	Commission.
20	20	(2) "Executive commissioner" means the executive
21	21	commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission.
22	22	(3) "Health and human services agencies" has the
23	23	meaning assigned by Section 531.001, Government Code.
24	24	Sec. 20.152. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS. The other
25	25	provisions of this chapter apply to the commission and health and
26	26	human services agencies except provisions that conflict with this
27	27	subchapter.
28	28	Sec. 20.153. FORMS AND PROCEDURES. (a) The executive
29	29	commissioner shall prescribe and require use by the commission and
30	30	health and human services agencies of forms and procedures that
31	31	combine each application form for a benefits program administered
32	32	by the commission or a health and human services agency with an
33	33	officially prescribed voter registration application form.
34	34	(b) The executive commissioner shall prescribe and require
35	35	use by the commission and health and human services agencies of a
36	36	change of address form and procedure that combines commission or
37	37	health and human services agency functions and voter registration
38	38	functions. The form must allow a recipient of benefits to indicate
39	39	whether the change of address is also to be used for voter
40	40	registration purposes.
41	41	(c) The design, content, and physical characteristics of
42	42	the forms required by this section must be approved by the secretary
43	43	of state.
44	44	(d) Forms required under this section must include the
45	45	following statement in a prominent location: "If you are not a
46	46	citizen of the United States, it is illegal for you to register to
47	47	vote."
48	48	Sec. 20.154. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. (a) If a person
49	49	completes a voter registration application provided under Section
50	50	20.153, the commission or health and human services agency, as
51	51	appropriate, shall:
52	52	(1) input the information provided on the application
53	53	into the commission's or agency's electronic data system; and
54	54	(2) inform the applicant that the applicant's
55	55	electronic signature provided to the commission or agency will be
56	56	used for submitting the applicant's voter registration
57	57	application.
58	58	(b) Not later than the fifth day after the date an applicant
59	59	completes a voter registration application and provides an
60	60	electronic signature to the commission or health and human services
61	61	agency, the commission or agency, as applicable, shall
62	62	electronically transfer the applicant's voter registration data,
63	63	including the applicant's signature, to the secretary of state.
64	64	(c) The secretary of state shall prescribe additional
65	65	procedures as necessary to implement this section.
66	66	Sec. 20.155. DECLINATION FORM NOT REQUIRED. The commission
67	67	and the health and human services agencies are not required to
68	68	comply with the procedures prescribed by this chapter relating to
69	69	the form for a declination of voter registration.
70	70	SECTION 2. The executive commissioner of the Health and
71	71	Human Services Commission shall prescribe the forms and procedures
72	72	necessary to implement Subchapter F, Chapter 20, Election Code, as
73	73	added by this Act, not later than January 1, 2011.
74	74	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.