85R1140 SRS-D
By: Dutton H.B. No. 159
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to electronic voter registration.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 13.002, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as
follows:
(a) A person desiring to register to vote must submit an
application to the registrar of the county in which the person
resides. Except as provided by Subsections [Subsection] (e) and
(e-1), an application must be submitted by personal delivery, by
mail, or by telephonic facsimile machine in accordance with
Sections 13.143(d) and (d-2).
(e-1) A registrar shall adopt procedures to allow a person
to complete a voter registration application over the Internet.
The secretary of state shall review any procedures adopted under
this section to ensure the procedures comply with the provisions of
this code.
SECTION 2. Section 13.072, Election Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
(e) A registrar may not reject an application that was
forwarded to the registrar under Subsection (d) because the
application was submitted electronically.
SECTION 3. The voter registrar of a county must adopt
procedures for the acceptance of voter registration applications
under Section 13.002(e-1), Election Code, as added by this Act, not
later than September 1, 2017.
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 on the 91st day after the last day of the
legislative session.