| 1 | 1 | | 87R8446 TSS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bucy H.B. No. 3526 |
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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 electronic voter registration through a voter |
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| 8 | 8 | | registration agency. |
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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. Section 13.002, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as |
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| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) A person desiring to register to vote must submit an |
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| 14 | 14 | | application to the registrar of the county in which the person |
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| 15 | 15 | | resides. Except as provided by Subsections [Subsection] (e) and |
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| 16 | 16 | | (e-1), an application must be submitted by personal delivery, by |
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| 17 | 17 | | mail, or by telephonic facsimile machine in accordance with |
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| 18 | 18 | | Sections 13.143(d) and (d-2). |
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| 19 | 19 | | (e-1) A registrar shall adopt procedures to allow a voter |
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| 20 | 20 | | registration agency to deliver a completed voter registration |
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| 21 | 21 | | application over the Internet. The secretary of state shall review |
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| 22 | 22 | | any procedures adopted under this section to ensure the procedures |
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| 23 | 23 | | comply with the provisions of this code. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Section 20.032, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 25 | 25 | | read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 20.032. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. (a) An appropriate |
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| 27 | 27 | | agency employee shall routinely inform each person who applies [in |
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| 28 | 28 | | person] for agency services of the opportunity to complete a voter |
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| 29 | 29 | | registration application form and on request shall provide |
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| 30 | 30 | | nonpartisan voter registration assistance to the applicant. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (b) An agency that provides services at a person's residence |
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| 32 | 32 | | shall provide the opportunity to complete the form and the |
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| 33 | 33 | | assistance under Subsection (a) at the residence. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) On receipt of a registration application, the |
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| 35 | 35 | | appropriate agency employee shall review it for completeness [in |
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| 36 | 36 | | the applicant's presence]. If the application does not contain all |
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| 37 | 37 | | the required information and the required signature, the agency |
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| 38 | 38 | | employee shall return the application to the applicant for |
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| 39 | 39 | | completion and resubmission. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (d) Information regarding the agency or office to which an |
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| 41 | 41 | | application is submitted is confidential and may be used only for |
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| 42 | 42 | | voter registration purposes. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an agency |
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| 44 | 44 | | shall adopt procedures providing for: |
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| 45 | 45 | | (1) a person applying for initial services, |
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| 46 | 46 | | recertification, renewal, or change of address with the agency over |
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| 47 | 47 | | the Internet to also complete a voter registration application |
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| 48 | 48 | | online; and |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) the delivery of a voter registration application |
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| 50 | 50 | | to the voter registrar over the Internet. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (f) For purposes of a voter registration application |
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| 52 | 52 | | completed under this chapter, an electronic signature satisfies the |
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| 53 | 53 | | requirement that an application be signed under Section 13.002(b). |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. Section 20.065(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 55 | 55 | | read as follows: |
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| 56 | 56 | | (a) At the end of each day a Department of Public Safety |
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| 57 | 57 | | office is regularly open for business, the manager of the office |
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| 58 | 58 | | shall deliver [by mail or in person] to the voter registrar of the |
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| 59 | 59 | | county in which the office is located each completed voter |
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| 60 | 60 | | registration application and applicable change of address |
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| 61 | 61 | | submitted to a department employee. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 4. Section 20.092(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 63 | 63 | | read as follows: |
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| 64 | 64 | | (a) A public library shall provide to each person of voting |
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| 65 | 65 | | age who applies [in person] for an original or renewal of a library |
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| 66 | 66 | | card an opportunity to complete a voter registration application |
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| 67 | 67 | | form. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 5. (a) The voter registrar of a county must adopt |
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| 69 | 69 | | procedures for the acceptance of voter registration applications |
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| 70 | 70 | | under Section 13.002(e-1), Election Code, as added by this Act, not |
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| 71 | 71 | | later than September 1, 2021. |
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| 72 | 72 | | (b) A voter registration agency must adopt procedures as |
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| 73 | 73 | | required by Section 20.032(e), Election Code, as added by this Act, |
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| 74 | 74 | | not later than September 1, 2021. |
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| 75 | 75 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 76 | 76 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 77 | 77 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 78 | 78 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 79 | 79 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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