Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB79 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R3244 JRJ-D
2	2	By: E. Johnson of Dallas H.B. No. 79
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to voter registration procedures.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Sections 13.002(a) and (b), Election Code, are
10	10	amended to read as follows:
11	11	(a) A person desiring to register to vote must submit an
12	12	application to the registrar of the county in which the person
13	13	resides. Except as provided by Subsection (e), an application must
14	14	be submitted by personal delivery, by mail, electronically through
15	15	the official Internet website of this state in accordance with
16	16	Section 13.009, or by telephonic facsimile machine in accordance
17	17	with Sections 13.143(d) and (d-2).
18	18	(b) Except as provided by Section 13.009, a [A] registration
19	19	application must be in writing and signed by the applicant.
20	20	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
21	21	amended by adding Sections 13.009 and 13.010 to read as follows:
22	22	Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) In this
23	23	section, "digital signature" means an electronic identifier
24	24	intended by the person using it to have the same force and effect as
25	25	the use of a manual signature.
26	26	(b) An electronically transmitted application for voter
27	27	registration issued or received by a registrar is considered signed
28	28	if a digital signature is transmitted with the document.
29	29	(c) The secretary of state shall implement a program to
30	30	allow a person to complete and submit a voter registration
31	31	application electronically through the official Internet website
32	32	of this state. The Internet websites of the secretary of state and
33	33	the Department of Public Safety must also provide a link to the
34	34	location of the application on the official Internet website of
35	35	this state.
36	36	(d) An applicant for electronic voter registration must:
37	37	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
38	38	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
39	39	and
40	40	(2) submit a digital signature.
41	41	(e) An electronically transmitted application for voter
42	42	registration submitted under this section is considered for all
43	43	purposes an application submitted by mail under this title.
44	44	(f) An electronically transmitted application for voter
45	45	registration is a written document for all purposes and exempt from
46	46	any additional writing requirement under this code.
47	47	(g) The use of a digital signature under this section is
48	48	subject to criminal laws pertaining to fraud and computer crimes,
49	49	including Chapters 32 and 33, Penal Code.
50	50	(h) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
51	51	implement this section, including rules to provide for additional
52	52	security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of
53	53	applications for voter registration submitted electronically.
54	54	Sec. 13.010. VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF
55	55	PUBLIC SAFETY. (a) The voter registrar of each county shall
56	56	automatically register any county resident who is eligible to vote
57	57	as provided by Section 13.001 and:
58	58	(1) is issued a Texas driver's license or a personal
59	59	identification card by the Department of Public Safety; or
60	60	(2) makes a change to a Texas driver's license or
61	61	personal identification card issued by the Department of Public
62	62	Safety.
63	63	(b) A driver's license or personal identification card
64	64	transaction with an indication provided by Section 20.062(b) or
65	65	20.063(c) that the transaction is not for voter registration
66	66	purposes is not subject to this section.
67	67	SECTION 3. Section 20.061, Election Code, is amended to
68	68	read as follows:
69	69	Sec. 20.061. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS. The other
70	70	provisions of this chapter apply to the Department of Public Safety
71	71	except provisions that conflict with this subchapter or Section
72	72	13.010.
73	73	SECTION 4. Section 20.062(b), Election Code, is amended to
74	74	read as follows:
75	75	(b) The department shall prescribe and use a change of
76	76	address form and procedure that combines department and voter
77	77	registration functions. The form must allow a licensee or
78	78	cardholder to indicate that [whether] the change of address is not
79	79	[also to be used] for voter registration purposes.
80	80	SECTION 5. Section 20.063, Election Code, is amended to
81	81	read as follows:
82	82	Sec. 20.063. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. (a) The Department
83	83	of Public Safety shall consider an application made in person, by
84	84	mail, or online at the department's Internet website [provide to
85	85	each person who applies in person at the department's offices] for
86	86	an original or renewal of a driver's license, a personal
87	87	identification card, or a duplicate or corrected license or card by
88	88	a person who is eligible to vote as provided by Section 13.001 an
89	89	application for [opportunity to complete a] voter registration.
90	90	The date of application is considered to be the date of submission
91	91	to the voter registrar for the purpose of determining the effective
92	92	date of registration [application form].
93	93	(b) The Department of Public Safety shall consider a change
94	94	of address that relates to [When the department processes] a
95	95	license or card and that is submitted to [for renewal by mail,] the
96	96	department [shall deliver to the applicant by mail a voter
97	97	registration application form.
98	98	[(c) A change of address that relates to a license or card
99	99	and that is submitted to the department] in person, [or] by mail, or
100	100	online at the department's Internet website [serves] as a change in
101	101	[of address for] voter registration [unless the licensee or
102	102	cardholder indicates that the change is not for voter registration
103	103	purposes]. The date of submission of a change of address to a
104	104	department employee is considered to be the date of submission to
105	105	the voter registrar for the purpose of determining the effective
106	106	date of registration [only].
107	107	(c) The registration of an eligible [(d) If a completed]
108	108	voter as required by Subsections (a) and (b) is automatic unless the
109	109	person indicates that the transaction is not for voter
110	110	registration purposes [application submitted to a department
111	111	employee does not include the applicant's correct driver's license
112	112	number or personal identification card number, a department
113	113	employee shall enter the appropriate information on the
114	114	application. If a completed application does not include the
115	115	applicant's correct residence address or mailing address, a
116	116	department employee shall obtain the appropriate information from
117	117	the applicant and enter the information on the application].
118	118	SECTION 6. Section 20.065(b), Election Code, is amended to
119	119	read as follows:
120	120	(b) Each weekday the department is regularly open for
121	121	business, the department shall electronically transfer to the
122	122	secretary of state the name and information designated by the
123	123	secretary of state for [of each person who completes a] voter
124	124	registration for each individual who is eligible to vote as
125	125	provided by Section 13.001 and applies in person, by mail, or online
126	126	at the department's Internet website for an original or renewal of a
127	127	driver's license, a personal identification card, or a duplicate or
128	128	corrected license or card [application submitted to the
129	129	department]. The secretary shall prescribe procedures necessary to
130	130	implement this subsection.
131	131	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.