| 1 | 1 | | 86R3621 SRS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Powell S.B. No. 1298 |
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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 acceptance of certain voters at a polling place. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 63.0013, Election Code, as added by |
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| 10 | 10 | | Chapter 980 (H.B. 658), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular |
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| 11 | 11 | | Session, 2017, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 63.0013. ACCEPTING CERTAIN VOTERS [WITH CERTAIN |
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| 13 | 13 | | DISABILITIES]. (a) In this section: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) "First responder" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 15 | 15 | | Section 421.095, Government Code. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) "Mobility[, "mobility] problem that substantially |
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| 17 | 17 | | impairs a person's ability to ambulate" has the meaning assigned by |
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| 18 | 18 | | Section 681.001, Transportation Code. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) An election officer may accept a person with a mobility |
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| 20 | 20 | | problem that substantially impairs a person's ability to ambulate |
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| 21 | 21 | | or a uniformed first responder who is offering to vote before |
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| 22 | 22 | | accepting others offering to vote at the polling place who arrived |
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| 23 | 23 | | before the person. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) Notice of the priority given to persons with a mobility |
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| 25 | 25 | | problem that substantially impairs a person's ability to ambulate |
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| 26 | 26 | | or to uniformed first responders shall be posted: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) at one or more locations in each polling place |
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| 28 | 28 | | where it can be read by persons waiting to vote; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) on the Internet website of the secretary of state; |
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| 30 | 30 | | and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) on each Internet website relating to elections |
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| 32 | 32 | | maintained by a county. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (d) The notice required by Subsection (c) must read: |
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| 34 | 34 | | "Pursuant to Section 63.0013, Election Code, an election officer |
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| 35 | 35 | | may give voting order priority to individuals with a mobility |
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| 36 | 36 | | problem that substantially impairs the person's ability to move |
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| 37 | 37 | | around or to uniformed first responders. A person assisting an |
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| 38 | 38 | | individual with a mobility problem may also, at the individual's |
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| 39 | 39 | | request, be given voting order priority. Disabilities and |
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| 40 | 40 | | conditions that may qualify you for voting order priority include |
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| 41 | 41 | | paralysis, lung disease, the use of portable oxygen, cardiac |
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| 42 | 42 | | deficiency, severe limitation in the ability to walk due to |
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| 43 | 43 | | arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition, wheelchair |
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| 44 | 44 | | confinement, arthritis, foot disorder, the inability to walk 200 |
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| 45 | 45 | | feet without stopping to rest, or use of a brace, cane, crutch, or |
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| 46 | 46 | | other assistive device." |
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| 47 | 47 | | (e) A person assisting a voter in accordance with Section |
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| 48 | 48 | | 64.032(c) may be accepted to vote concurrently with a person |
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| 49 | 49 | | accepted under Subsection (b) of this section at the voter's |
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| 50 | 50 | | request. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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