Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2163 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R15238 ADM-D
2	2	By: Miller of Fort Bend H.B. No. 2163
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2163:
4	4	By: Fallon C.S.H.B. No. 2163
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to signature verification on an early voting ballot voted
10	10	by mail.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 87.027(i), Election Code, is amended to
13	13	read as follows:
14	14	(i) The signature verification committee shall compare the
15	15	signature on each carrier envelope certificate, except those signed
16	16	for a voter by a witness, with any two or more signatures of the
17	17	voter made within the preceding six years and on file with the
18	18	general custodian of election records or voter registrar [the
19	19	signature on the voter's ballot application] to determine whether
20	20	the signatures are those of the same person. The committee may also
21	21	compare the signatures with any two or more signatures of the voter
22	22	made before the preceding six years and on file with the general
23	23	custodian of election records or voter registrar [the signature on
24	24	the voter's registration application] to confirm that the
25	25	signatures are those of the same person but may not use the
26	26	signatures [registration application signature] to determine that
27	27	the signatures are not those of the same person. Except as provided
28	28	by Subsection (l), a determination under this subsection that the
29	29	signatures are not those of the same person must be made by a
30	30	majority vote of the committee's membership. The committee shall
31	31	place the jacket envelopes, carrier envelopes, and applications of
32	32	voters whose signatures are not those of the same person in separate
33	33	containers from those of voters whose signatures are those of the
34	34	same person. The committee chair shall deliver the sorted
35	35	materials to the early voting ballot board at the time specified by
36	36	the board's presiding judge.
37	37	SECTION 2. Section 87.041, Election Code, is amended by
38	38	amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as
39	39	follows:
40	40	(e) In making the determination under Subsection (b)(2),
41	41	the board may also compare the signatures with any two or more
42	42	signatures of the voter made within the preceding six years and on
43	43	file with the general custodian of election records or voter
44	44	registrar to determine if [confirm that] the signatures are those
45	45	of the same person [but may not use the signatures to determine that
46	46	the signatures are not those of the same person].
47	47	(e-1) In making the determination under Subsection (b)(2),
48	48	the board may also compare the signatures with any two or more
49	49	signatures of the voter made before the preceding six years and on
50	50	file with the general custodian of election records or voter
51	51	registrar to confirm that the signatures are those of the same
52	52	person but may not use the signatures to determine that the
53	53	signatures are not those of the same person.
54	54	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
55	55	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
56	56	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
57	57	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
58	58	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.