BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 160 By: Zwiener Elections Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There are many barriers to the voting process in Texas, including the requirement of presenting acceptable identification. Young voters especially are faced with many obstacles in the voting process, making them less likely to want to participate overall. Students enrolled at public institutions of higher education already receive an identification card from their institution as proof of enrollment, and they reliably carry it when on campus. While many forms of state‑issued identification are allowed for voting, student identification cards are currently not an acceptable form of photo identification for voting purposes, which inhibits many students from participating in the voting process. C.S.H.B. 160 seeks to address this issue by expanding the acceptable forms of photo identification for voting to include an identification card issued by a public institution of higher education. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 160 amends the Election Code to include as an acceptable form of photo identification for purposes of accepting a voter an identification card issued by a public institution of higher education located in Texas that contains the person's photograph and full legal name and that has not expired or that expired no earlier than four years before the date of presentation. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2021. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 160 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 160
By: Zwiener
Elections
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 160
By: Zwiener
Elections
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There are many barriers to the voting process in Texas, including the requirement of presenting acceptable identification. Young voters especially are faced with many obstacles in the voting process, making them less likely to want to participate overall. Students enrolled at public institutions of higher education already receive an identification card from their institution as proof of enrollment, and they reliably carry it when on campus. While many forms of state‑issued identification are allowed for voting, student identification cards are currently not an acceptable form of photo identification for voting purposes, which inhibits many students from participating in the voting process. C.S.H.B. 160 seeks to address this issue by expanding the acceptable forms of photo identification for voting to include an identification card issued by a public institution of higher education.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 160 amends the Election Code to include as an acceptable form of photo identification for purposes of accepting a voter an identification card issued by a public institution of higher education located in Texas that contains the person's photograph and full legal name and that has not expired or that expired no earlier than four years before the date of presentation.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2021.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 160 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
There are many barriers to the voting process in Texas, including the requirement of presenting acceptable identification. Young voters especially are faced with many obstacles in the voting process, making them less likely to want to participate overall. Students enrolled at public institutions of higher education already receive an identification card from their institution as proof of enrollment, and they reliably carry it when on campus. While many forms of state‑issued identification are allowed for voting, student identification cards are currently not an acceptable form of photo identification for voting purposes, which inhibits many students from participating in the voting process. C.S.H.B. 160 seeks to address this issue by expanding the acceptable forms of photo identification for voting to include an identification card issued by a public institution of higher education.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 160 amends the Election Code to include as an acceptable form of photo identification for purposes of accepting a voter an identification card issued by a public institution of higher education located in Texas that contains the person's photograph and full legal name and that has not expired or that expired no earlier than four years before the date of presentation.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2021.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 160 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions.