| 1 | 1 | | 86R4062 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Swanson H.B. No. 1107 |
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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 signature required on an application for voter |
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| 8 | 8 | | registration or for a ballot to be voted by mail. |
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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. Sections 13.002(a) and (b), Election Code, are |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) A person desiring to register to vote must submit an |
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| 13 | 13 | | application to the registrar of the county in which the person |
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| 14 | 14 | | resides. Except as provided by Subsection (e), an application must |
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| 15 | 15 | | be submitted by personal delivery or [,] by mail[, or by telephonic |
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| 16 | 16 | | facsimile machine in accordance with Sections 13.143(d) and (d-2)]. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) A registration application must be in writing and signed |
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| 18 | 18 | | by the applicant using ink on paper. An electronic signature or |
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| 19 | 19 | | photocopied signature is not permitted. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 13.143(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 21 | 21 | | read as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (d) For purposes of determining the effective date of a |
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| 23 | 23 | | registration, an application submitted by[: |
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| 24 | 24 | | [(1)] mail is considered to be submitted to the |
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| 25 | 25 | | registrar on the date it is placed with postage prepaid and properly |
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| 26 | 26 | | addressed in the United States mail[; or |
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| 27 | 27 | | [(2) telephonic facsimile machine is considered to be |
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| 28 | 28 | | submitted to the registrar on the date the transmission is received |
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| 29 | 29 | | by the registrar, subject to Subsection (d-2)]. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. Section 84.001(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 31 | 31 | | read as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) An application must be in writing and signed by the |
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| 33 | 33 | | applicant using ink on paper. An electronic signature or |
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| 34 | 34 | | photocopied signature is not permitted. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 4. Section 13.143(d-2), Election Code, is repealed. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies to an |
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| 37 | 37 | | application for voter registration or for a ballot to be voted by |
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| 38 | 38 | | mail submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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| 39 | 39 | | application for voter registration or for a ballot to be voted by |
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| 40 | 40 | | mail submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by |
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| 41 | 41 | | the law in effect when the application was submitted, and the former |
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| 42 | 42 | | law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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