| 1 | 1 | | 87R10743 SLB-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Schofield H.B. No. 3247 |
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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 alteration of voting standards, practices, or |
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| 8 | 8 | | procedures. |
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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. Chapter 1, Election Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Section 1.022 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 1.022. ALTERATION OF VOTING STANDARDS, PRACTICES, OR |
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| 13 | 13 | | PROCEDURES. (a) An election official of a political subdivision |
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| 14 | 14 | | seeking to alter, in response to a pandemic disaster, any voting |
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| 15 | 15 | | standard, practice, or procedure in a manner not otherwise |
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| 16 | 16 | | expressly authorized by this code, must first obtain approval of |
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| 17 | 17 | | the proposed alteration from the secretary of state by submitting a |
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| 18 | 18 | | written request for approval to the secretary of state. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) The secretary of state by written order may approve a |
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| 20 | 20 | | proposed alteration requested under Subsection (a). An election |
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| 21 | 21 | | official of a political subdivision may not alter any voting |
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| 22 | 22 | | standard, practice, or procedure in a manner not otherwise |
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| 23 | 23 | | expressly authorized by this code without a written order of |
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| 24 | 24 | | approval from the secretary of state. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (c) The secretary of state may not approve a request under |
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| 26 | 26 | | Subsection (a) or (b) unless a condition directly caused by the |
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| 27 | 27 | | disaster which is the subject of a disaster declaration under |
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| 28 | 28 | | Chapter 418, Government Code, or another law authorizing the |
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| 29 | 29 | | declaration of a disaster, has made the conduct of the election |
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| 30 | 30 | | infeasible in the absence of the alteration. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (d) In the absence of the governor's disaster declaration, |
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| 32 | 32 | | an election official of a political subdivision may not alter any |
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| 33 | 33 | | voting standard, practice, or procedure in a manner not otherwise |
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| 34 | 34 | | expressly authorized by this code. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 36 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 37 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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