| 1 | 1 | | 86R10150 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 1053 |
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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 automatic voter registration on issuance of a driver's |
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| 8 | 8 | | license or identification card by the Department of Public Safety. |
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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 13, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 13.009. AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH |
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| 13 | 13 | | DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR CERTAIN PERSONS. (a) The voter |
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| 14 | 14 | | registrar of each county shall automatically register any county |
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| 15 | 15 | | resident who is 18 years of age, eligible to vote as provided by |
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| 16 | 16 | | Section 13.001, and issued a Texas driver's license or a personal |
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| 17 | 17 | | identification card by the Department of Public Safety. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) A driver's license or personal identification card |
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| 19 | 19 | | transaction with an indication provided by Section 20.063(c) that |
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| 20 | 20 | | the transaction is not for voter registration purposes is not |
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| 21 | 21 | | subject to this section. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. Section 20.061, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 23 | 23 | | read as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 20.061. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS. The other |
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| 25 | 25 | | provisions of this chapter apply to the Department of Public Safety |
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| 26 | 26 | | except provisions that conflict with this subchapter or Section |
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| 27 | 27 | | 13.009. |
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| 28 | 28 | | SECTION 3. Section 20.063, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 29 | 29 | | amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read |
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| 30 | 30 | | as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (a) The Department of Public Safety shall provide to each |
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| 32 | 32 | | person who applies in person, by mail, or online at the department's |
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| 33 | 33 | | Internet website [at the department's offices] for an original or |
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| 34 | 34 | | renewal of a driver's license, a personal identification card, or a |
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| 35 | 35 | | duplicate or corrected license or card an opportunity to complete a |
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| 36 | 36 | | voter registration application form. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (c) A change of address that relates to a license or card and |
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| 38 | 38 | | that is submitted to the department in person, [or] by mail, or |
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| 39 | 39 | | online at the department's Internet website serves as a change of |
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| 40 | 40 | | address for voter registration unless the licensee or cardholder |
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| 41 | 41 | | indicates that the change is not for voter registration purposes. |
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| 42 | 42 | | The date of submission of a change of address to a department |
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| 43 | 43 | | employee is considered to be the date of submission to the voter |
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| 44 | 44 | | registrar for the purpose of determining the effective date of |
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| 45 | 45 | | registration [only]. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (e) The Department of Public Safety shall consider an |
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| 47 | 47 | | application made in person, by mail, or online at the department's |
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| 48 | 48 | | Internet website for an original or renewal of a driver's license, a |
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| 49 | 49 | | personal identification card, or a duplicate or corrected license |
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| 50 | 50 | | or card by a person who is 18 years of age and eligible to vote as |
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| 51 | 51 | | provided by Section 13.001 an application for voter registration. |
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| 52 | 52 | | The date of application is considered to be the date of submission |
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| 53 | 53 | | to the voter registrar for the purpose of determining the effective |
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| 54 | 54 | | date of registration. The registration of an eligible voter under |
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| 55 | 55 | | this subsection is automatic unless the person indicates that the |
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| 56 | 56 | | transaction is not for voter registration purposes. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 4. Section 20.065(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 58 | 58 | | read as follows: |
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| 59 | 59 | | (b) Each weekday the department is regularly open for |
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| 60 | 60 | | business, the department shall electronically transfer to the |
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| 61 | 61 | | secretary of state the name and information designated by the |
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| 62 | 62 | | secretary of state for [of] each person who completes a voter |
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| 63 | 63 | | registration application submitted to the department and for each |
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| 64 | 64 | | individual who is eligible for registration under Section |
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| 65 | 65 | | 20.063(e). The secretary shall prescribe procedures necessary to |
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| 66 | 66 | | implement this subsection. |
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| 67 | 67 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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