| 1 | 1 | | 85R7904 ATP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Garcia S.B. No. 925 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the facilitation of voting by persons confined in |
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| 8 | 8 | | certain jails. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Title 16, Election Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Chapter 279 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | CHAPTER 279. ENFRANCHISEMENT OF PERSONS CONFINED IN JAIL |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 279.001. APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies to a |
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| 14 | 14 | | person confined in a city or county jail. |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 279.002. NOTICE OF VOTING RIGHTS. (a) The secretary |
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| 16 | 16 | | of state shall prescribe a written notice to be provided to each |
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| 17 | 17 | | person confined in a city or county jail that states: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) that persons eligible to vote may vote an absentee |
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| 19 | 19 | | ballot from jail; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) the upcoming election dates; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) the voter registration deadlines and absentee |
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| 22 | 22 | | ballot request deadlines applicable to the upcoming elections. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The notice must be printed in English, Spanish, |
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| 24 | 24 | | Vietnamese, and Mandarin. On the request of a person who does not |
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| 25 | 25 | | speak one of these languages, a translation of the notice into the |
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| 26 | 26 | | person's primary language must be provided. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (c) The secretary of state shall adopt rules relating to the |
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| 28 | 28 | | provision of the notice prescribed under this section to ensure |
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| 29 | 29 | | that the notice is visible and accessible to persons confined in the |
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| 30 | 30 | | jail. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Sec. 279.003. VOTING MATERIALS. (a) The officially |
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| 32 | 32 | | prescribed application form for registration by mail shall be made |
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| 33 | 33 | | available to persons confined in jail who are eligible to register |
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| 34 | 34 | | to vote. The officially prescribed application form for an early |
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| 35 | 35 | | voting ballot shall be made available to persons confined in jail |
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| 36 | 36 | | who are qualified voters. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (b) The authority in charge of the jail shall facilitate the |
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| 38 | 38 | | proper delivery of voter registration applications, applications |
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| 39 | 39 | | for ballots to be voted by mail, and marked ballots to eligible |
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| 40 | 40 | | persons and is responsible for the payment of any required postage. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) The secretary of state may adopt any rules necessary to |
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| 42 | 42 | | implement this section. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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