Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2098 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R8620 JRJ-D
2	2	By: Miller of Fort Bend H.B. No. 2098
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the requirements for an application to vote an early
8	8	voting ballot by mail.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 63.0101, Election Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 63.0101. DOCUMENTATION OF PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION.
13	13	(a) The following documentation is an acceptable form of photo
14	14	identification under this chapter:
15	15	(1) a driver's license, election identification
16	16	certificate, or personal identification card issued to the person
17	17	by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or that
18	18	expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation;
19	19	(2) a United States military identification card that
20	20	contains the person's photograph that has not expired or that
21	21	expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation;
22	22	(3) a United States citizenship certificate issued to
23	23	the person that contains the person's photograph;
24	24	(4) a United States passport issued to the person that
25	25	has not expired or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the
26	26	date of presentation; or
27	27	(5) a license to carry a concealed handgun issued to
28	28	the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired
29	29	or that expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of
30	30	presentation.
31	31	(b) If a person is 65 years of age or older, an expired
32	32	driver's license or personal identification card issued to the
33	33	person by the Department of Public Safety is an acceptable form of
34	34	identification for the purpose of applying for a ballot to be voted
35	35	by mail under Chapter 84.
36	36	SECTION 2. Section 84.002(a), Election Code, is amended to
37	37	read as follows:
38	38	(a) An early voting ballot application must include:
39	39	(1) the applicant's name, [and] the address at which
40	40	the applicant is registered to vote, and, if the applicant is
41	41	applying for a ballot to be voted by mail for the first time, a copy
42	42	of one form of identification described by Section 63.0101;
43	43	(2) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
44	44	on the ground of absence from the county of residence, the address
45	45	outside the applicant's county of residence to which the ballot is
46	46	to be mailed;
47	47	(3) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
48	48	on the ground of age or disability, the address of the hospital,
49	49	nursing home or other long-term care facility, or retirement
50	50	center, or of a person related to the applicant within the second
51	51	degree by affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as
52	52	determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, if the applicant is
53	53	living at that address and that address is different from the
54	54	address at which the applicant is registered to vote;
55	55	(4) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
56	56	on the ground of confinement in jail, the address of the jail or of a
57	57	person related to the applicant within the degree described by
58	58	Subdivision (3);
59	59	(5) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
60	60	on any ground, an indication of each election for which the
61	61	applicant is applying for a ballot; and
62	62	(6) an indication of the ground of eligibility for
63	63	early voting.
64	64	SECTION 3. Section 84.011(a), Election Code, is amended to
65	65	read as follows:
66	66	(a) The officially prescribed application form for an early
67	67	voting ballot must include:
68	68	(1) immediately preceding the signature space the
69	69	statement: "I certify that the information given in this
70	70	application is true, and I understand that giving false information
71	71	in this application is a crime.";
72	72	(2) a statement informing the applicant of the
73	73	offenses prescribed by Sections 84.003 and 84.004;
74	74	(3) spaces for entering an applicant's voter
75	75	registration number and county election precinct of registration,
76	76	with a statement informing the applicant that failure to furnish
77	77	that information does not invalidate the application; and
78	78	(4) on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail:
79	79	(A) a space for an applicant applying on the
80	80	ground of absence from the county of residence to indicate the date
81	81	on or after which the applicant can receive mail at the address
82	82	outside the county;
83	83	(B) a space for indicating the fact that an
84	84	applicant whose application is signed by a witness cannot make the
85	85	applicant's mark and a space for indicating the relationship or
86	86	lack of relationship of the witness to the applicant;
87	87	(C) a space for entering an applicant's telephone
88	88	number, with a statement informing the applicant that failure to
89	89	furnish that information does not invalidate the application;
90	90	(D) a space or box for an applicant applying on
91	91	the ground of age or disability to indicate that the address to
92	92	which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a facility or
93	93	relative described by Section 84.002(a)(3), if applicable;
94	94	(E) a space or box for an applicant applying on
95	95	the ground of confinement in jail to indicate that the address to
96	96	which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a relative
97	97	described by Section 84.002(a)(4), if applicable;
98	98	(F) spaces for entering the signature, printed
99	99	name, and residence address of any person assisting the applicant;
100	100	(G) a statement informing the applicant of the
101	101	condition prescribed by Section 81.005; [and]
102	102	(H) a statement informing the applicant of the
103	103	requirement prescribed by Section 86.003(c); and
104	104	(I) a statement informing the applicant of the
105	105	requirement that the applicant include a copy of one form of
106	106	identification described by Section 63.0101 if the applicant is
107	107	applying for a ballot to be voted by mail for the first time.
108	108	SECTION 4. Section 86.001, Election Code, is amended by
109	109	adding Subsection (h) to read as follows:
110	110	(h) The secretary of state shall by rule provide a system
111	111	for maintaining information regarding the provision of
112	112	identification with each initial application for a ballot to be
113	113	voted by mail.
114	114	SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
115	115	an application to vote an early voting ballot by mail submitted on
116	116	or after the effective date of this Act. An application to vote an
117	117	early voting ballot by mail submitted before the effective date of
118	118	this Act is governed by the law in effect when the application was
119	119	submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
120	120	purpose.
121	121	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.