84R9006 GRM-F
By: Schofield H.B. No. 2916
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to voter registration offenses; increasing criminal
penalties; creating an offense.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 13.007(a) and (b), Election Code, are
amended to read as follows:
(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly
makes a materially false statement or requests, commands, or
attempts to induce another person to make a false statement on a
registration application.
(b) An offense under this section is a Class A [Class B]
misdemeanor.
SECTION 2. Section 13.038, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 13.038. POWERS GENERALLY; OFFENSE. (a) A volunteer
deputy registrar may distribute voter registration application
forms throughout the county and receive registration applications
submitted to the deputy in person.
(b) A volunteer deputy registrar commits an offense if the
volunteer deputy distributes a voter registration application form
to a person the volunteer deputy knows is ineligible to register to
vote under Section 13.001. An offense under this subsection is a
Class A misdemeanor.
SECTION 3. Section 13.044, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 13.044. PURPORTEDLY ACTING AS VOLUNTEER DEPUTY
REGISTRAR. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly
purports to act as a volunteer deputy registrar when the person does
not have an effective appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar.
(b) An offense under this section is a Class A [Class C]
misdemeanor.
SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections
13.007 and 13.044, Election Code, apply only to an offense
committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense
committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section,
an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if
any element of the offense occurred before that date.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.