| 1 | 1 | | 86R788 ATP-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ortega H.B. No. 326 |
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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 a strategic plan by the secretary of state to increase |
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| 8 | 8 | | voter turnout. |
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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. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 31.014 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 31.014. VOTER TURNOUT STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) The |
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| 13 | 13 | | secretary of state shall prepare and implement a strategic plan |
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| 14 | 14 | | aimed at increasing voter turnout. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) In developing the plan, the secretary of state shall use |
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| 16 | 16 | | evidence-based methods of increasing voter turnout and shall |
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| 17 | 17 | | collaborate with institutions of higher education to determine the |
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| 18 | 18 | | most appropriate measures of success and develop performance |
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| 19 | 19 | | benchmarks for the increase in voter turnout. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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| 21 | 21 | | the secretary of state shall report on the progress of the strategic |
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| 22 | 22 | | plan under this section in increasing voter turnout using the most |
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| 23 | 23 | | recently updated data to the standing committee of each house of the |
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| 24 | 24 | | legislature with primary jurisdiction over election matters. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (d) This section expires January 1, 2025. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. The secretary of state shall adopt the strategic |
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| 27 | 27 | | plan under Section 31.014, Election Code, as added by this Act, not |
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| 28 | 28 | | later than January 1, 2020, to be fully implemented not later than |
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| 29 | 29 | | December 31, 2024. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 31 | 31 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 32 | 32 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 33 | 33 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 34 | 34 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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