By: Miles H.B. No. 2570
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to voter registration; creating an offense.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 13.073, Election Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:
(d) In providing a written or oral reason for rejection
under Subsection (a) or (b), the registrar shall identify which
section or sections of the application resulted in the rejection.
For each section identified, the registrar shall specify if the
section was incomplete, was improperly filled out, or contained
information identifying the applicant as ineligible to vote.
(e) The registrar shall work to lower error rates in
applications by following the training standards for deputy voter
registrars as set out in Section 13.047.
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 13.047, Election Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 13.047. TRAINING STANDARDS FOR DEPUTY REGISTRARS;
TRAINING USING MATERIALS POSTED ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE WEBSITE.
SECTION 3. Section 13.047, Election Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), and (i) to read as
follows:
(c) The secretary of state shall provide on the agency's
website the training materials and, if applicable, the examination
that a potential volunteer deputy registrar may access at any time.
(d) The materials posted online and described by Subsection
(c) must allow an applicant to download and print a document to be
used as a certificate of completion of training. The document must:
(1) provide for the applicant to include the
applicant's name, county, and residence address and any other
information the secretary of state considers necessary;
(2) include the examination questions, if required by
the secretary of state; and
(3) contain a form on which the applicant may execute
an affidavit affirming that the applicant has read the training
materials in their entirety.
(e) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly
makes a false statement or requests, commands, or attempts to
induce another person to make a false statement on an affidavit
completed as part of a certificate of completion. An offense under
this subsection is a Class B misdemeanor.
(f) An applicant who completes the training materials and a
certificate of completion shall present the certificate to the
registrar at the time the applicant requests appointment as a
volunteer deputy registrar. Upon appointment, the applicant is not
required to take further training and may immediately receive
another person's voter registration application.
(g) The registrar must accept a certificate of completion
presented by an applicant and appoint the person as a volunteer
deputy registrar if the applicant:
(1) is eligible to be appointed as a volunteer deputy
registrar under this subchapter;
(2) has executed the affidavit with an original
signature; and
(3) has passed the examination, if applicable.
(h) At the time a volunteer deputy registrar who received
training is appointed, the registrar shall advise the volunteer:
(1) of county-specific procedures for processing
voter registration applications, if applicable; and
(2) that the only requirements for voter registration
are those prescribed by state law or by the secretary of state.
(i) A volunteer deputy registrar requesting appointment in
an additional county may present the person's valid certificate of
appointment as proof of training. The volunteer is eligible to
receive another person's voter registration application
immediately on receiving a certificate of appointment from the
registrar of the additional county.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.