| Old | New | Differences | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | By: Vo H.B. No. 1152 | |
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 4 | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | |
| 5 | 5 | AN ACT | |
| 6 | 6 | relating to the criminal offense of unlawfully prohibiting an | |
| 7 | 7 | employee from voting. | |
| 8 | 8 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | |
| 9 | 9 | SECTION 1. Sections 276.004(a) and (b), Election Code, are | |
| 10 | 10 | amended to read as follows: | |
| 11 | 11 | (a) A person commits an offense if, with respect to another | |
| 12 | 12 | person over whom the person has authority in the scope of | |
| 13 | 13 | employment, the person knowingly: | |
| 14 | 14 | (1) refuses to permit the other person to be absent | |
| 15 | 15 | from work on election day or while early voting is in progress for | |
| 16 | 16 | the purpose of attending the polls to vote; or | |
| 17 | 17 | (2) subjects or threatens to subject the other person | |
| 18 | 18 | to a penalty for attending the polls on election day or while early | |
| 19 | 19 | voting is in progress to vote. | |
| 20 | 20 | (b) It is an exception to the application of this section | |
| 21 | 21 | that the person's conduct occurs in connection with an election in | |
| 22 | 22 | which the polls are open on election day or while early voting is in | |
| 23 | 23 | progress for voting for two consecutive hours outside of the | |
| 24 | 24 | voter's working hours. | |
| 25 | 25 | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |