Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3944 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R15097 ADM-D
2	2	By: Turner H.B. No. 3944
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to volunteer deputy registrars; repealing a criminal
8	8	offense.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 13.031(d), Election Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	(d) To be eligible for appointment as a volunteer deputy
13	13	registrar, a person must:
14	14	(1) be 18 years of age or older;
15	15	(2) not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if
16	16	so convicted, must have:
17	17	(A) fully discharged the person's sentence,
18	18	including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or
19	19	completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or
20	20	(B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
21	21	resulting disability to vote;
22	22	(3) meet the requirements to be a qualified voter
23	23	under Section 11.002 except that the person is not required to be a
24	24	resident of this state or a registered voter; and
25	25	(4) not have been finally convicted of an offense
26	26	under Section 32.51, Penal Code.
27	27	SECTION 2. Sections 13.036(a) and (b), Election Code, are
28	28	amended to read as follows:
29	29	(a) An appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar is
30	30	terminated on:
31	31	(1) the expiration of the volunteer deputy's term of
32	32	appointment; or
33	33	(2) the final conviction of the volunteer deputy for
34	34	an offense prescribed by Section [13.008 or] 13.043.
35	35	(b) The registrar may terminate the appointment of a
36	36	volunteer deputy registrar on a determination by the registrar that
37	37	the volunteer deputy:
38	38	(1) [failed to adequately review a registration
39	39	application as required by Section 13.039;
40	40	[(2)] intentionally destroyed or physically altered
41	41	a registration application; or
42	42	(2) [(3)] engaged in any other activity that conflicts
43	43	with the responsibilities of a volunteer deputy registrar under
44	44	this chapter.
45	45	SECTION 3. Section 13.038, Election Code, is amended to
46	46	read as follows:
47	47	Sec. 13.038. POWERS GENERALLY. A volunteer deputy
48	48	registrar may:
49	49	(1) distribute voter registration application forms
50	50	throughout the state;
51	51	(2) [county and] receive registration applications
52	52	submitted to the deputy in person; and
53	53	(3) photocopy a received or submitted application.
54	54	SECTION 4. Section 13.042(a), Election Code, is amended to
55	55	read as follows:
56	56	(a) A volunteer deputy registrar shall deliver in person,
57	57	[or] by personal delivery through another designated volunteer
58	58	deputy, or by mail to the registrar each completed voter
59	59	registration application submitted to the deputy, as provided by
60	60	this section. The secretary of state shall prescribe any
61	61	procedures necessary to ensure the proper and timely delivery of
62	62	completed applications that are not delivered in person by the
63	63	volunteer deputy who receives them.
64	64	SECTION 5. Section 13.046(f), Election Code, is amended to
65	65	read as follows:
66	66	(f) Except as provided by this subsection, Sections
67	67	[13.039,] 13.041[,] and 13.042 apply to the submission and delivery
68	68	of registration applications under this section, and for that
69	69	purpose, "volunteer deputy registrar" in those sections includes a
70	70	high school deputy registrar. A high school deputy registrar may
71	71	review an application for completeness out of the applicant's
72	72	presence. A deputy may deliver a group of applications to the
73	73	registrar by mail in an envelope or package, and, for the purpose of
74	74	determining compliance with the delivery deadline, an application
75	75	delivered by mail is considered to be delivered at the time of its
76	76	receipt by the registrar.
77	77	SECTION 6. Sections 12.006(f), 13.008, 13.031(e),
78	78	13.033(d), 13.039, 13.047, and 13.048, Election Code, are repealed.
79	79	SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a
80	80	volunteer deputy registrar appointed before, on, or after the
81	81	effective date of this Act.
82	82	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.