Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB483 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R1851 TSS-F
2	2	By: González of Dallas H.B. No. 483
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to voter registration.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Sections 13.004(a) and (d), Election Code, are
10	10	amended to read as follows:
11	11	(a) The registrar may not transcribe, copy, or otherwise
12	12	record a telephone number or e-mail address furnished on a
13	13	registration application.
14	14	(d) The voter registrar or other county official who has
15	15	access to the information furnished on a registration application
16	16	may not post the following information on a website:
17	17	(1) a telephone number or e-mail address;
18	18	(2) a social security number;
19	19	(3) a driver's license number or a number of a personal
20	20	identification card;
21	21	(4) a date of birth; or
22	22	(5) the residence address of a voter who submits
23	23	documentation under Subsection (c)(6), (7), (8), or (9) [(c)(5),
24	24	(6), (7), or (8)] to the voter registrar or regarding whom the
25	25	registrar has received notification under Section 15.0215.
26	26	SECTION 2. Section 13.004(c), Election Code, as amended by
27	27	Chapters 469 (H.B. 4173), 489 (H.B. 3100), and 1146 (H.B. 2910),
28	28	Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, is reenacted
29	29	and amended to read as follows:
30	30	(c) The following information furnished on a registration
31	31	application is confidential and does not constitute public
32	32	information for purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code:
33	33	(1) a social security number;
34	34	(2) a Texas driver's license number;
35	35	(3) a number of a personal identification card issued
36	36	by the Department of Public Safety;
37	37	(4) an indication that an applicant is interested in
38	38	working as an election judge;
39	39	(5) a telephone number or e-mail address;
40	40	(6) the residence address of the applicant, if the
41	41	applicant is a federal judge or state judge, the spouse of a federal
42	42	judge or state judge, the spouse of a peace officer as defined by
43	43	Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, or an individual to whom
44	44	Section 552.1175, Government Code, or Section 521.1211,
45	45	Transportation Code, applies and the applicant:
46	46	(A) included an affidavit with the registration
47	47	application describing the applicant's status under this
48	48	subdivision, if the applicant is a federal judge or state judge or
49	49	the spouse of a federal judge or state judge;
50	50	(B) provided the registrar with an affidavit
51	51	describing the applicant's status under this subdivision, if the
52	52	applicant is a federal judge or state judge or the spouse of a
53	53	federal judge or state judge; or
54	54	(C) provided the registrar with a completed form
55	55	approved by the secretary of state for the purpose of notifying the
56	56	registrar of the applicant's status under this subdivision;
57	57	(7) [(6)] the residence address of the applicant, if
58	58	the applicant, the applicant's child, or another person in the
59	59	applicant's household is a victim of family violence as defined by
60	60	Section 71.004, Family Code, who provided the registrar with:
61	61	(A) a copy of a protective order issued under
62	62	Chapter 85, Family Code, or a magistrate's order for emergency
63	63	protection issued under Article 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure;
64	64	or
65	65	(B) other independent documentary evidence
66	66	necessary to show that the applicant, the applicant's child, or
67	67	another person in the applicant's household is a victim of family
68	68	violence;
69	69	(8) [(7)] the residence address of the applicant, if
70	70	the applicant, the applicant's child, or another person in the
71	71	applicant's household is a victim of sexual assault or abuse,
72	72	stalking, or trafficking of persons who provided the registrar
73	73	with:
74	74	(A) a copy of a protective order issued under
75	75	Subchapter A or B, Chapter 7B, Code of Criminal Procedure, or a
76	76	magistrate's order for emergency protection issued under Article
77	77	17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
78	78	(B) other independent documentary evidence
79	79	necessary to show that the applicant, the applicant's child, or
80	80	another person in the applicant's household is a victim of sexual
81	81	assault or abuse, stalking, or trafficking of persons;
82	82	(9) [(8)] the residence address of the applicant, if
83	83	the applicant:
84	84	(A) is a participant in the address
85	85	confidentiality program administered by the attorney general under
86	86	Subchapter B, Chapter 58, Code of Criminal Procedure; and
87	87	(B) provided the registrar with proof of
88	88	certification under Article 58.059, Code of Criminal Procedure; or
89	89	(10) [(9)] the telephone number of any applicant
90	90	submitting documentation under Subdivision (6), (7), (8), or (9)
91	91	[(5), (6), (7), or (8)].
92	92	SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 84, Election Code, is
93	93	amended by adding Section 84.0022 to read as follows:
94	94	Sec. 84.0022. CONFIDENTIALITY AND USE OF CERTAIN
95	95	INFORMATION. Information included on an application for a ballot
96	96	to be voted by mail is subject to Section 13.004 in the same manner
97	97	as that section applies to an application to register to vote.
98	98	SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 84, Election Code, is
99	99	amended by adding Section 84.0075 to read as follows:
100	100	Sec. 84.0075. SUBMITTING APPLICATION FOR BALLOT VOTED BY
101	101	MAIL TO VOTER REGISTRAR. (a) Notwithstanding the other provisions
102	102	of this subchapter, an applicant for a ballot to be voted by mail
103	103	who is not registered to vote may submit an application for a ballot
104	104	to be voted by mail and an application for voter registration to the
105	105	voter registrar.
106	106	(b) If the registrar approves the application for voter
107	107	registration under Title 2, the registrar shall forward the
108	108	application for a ballot to be voted by mail to the early voting
109	109	clerk.
110	110	(c) For the purposes of this section, a deputy registrar
111	111	must deliver an application for a ballot to be voted by mail to the
112	112	registrar in the same manner as an application for voter
113	113	registration.
114	114	SECTION 5. Section 84.011(a), Election Code, is amended to
115	115	read as follows:
116	116	(a) The officially prescribed application form for an early
117	117	voting ballot may combine the contents required under Section
118	118	84.002 for an early voting ballot application with an officially
119	119	prescribed voter registration application form and must include:
120	120	(1) immediately preceding the signature space the
121	121	statement: "I certify that the information given in this
122	122	application is true, and I understand that giving false information
123	123	in this application is a crime.";
124	124	(2) a statement informing the applicant of the
125	125	offenses prescribed by Sections 84.003 and 84.004;
126	126	(3) spaces for entering an applicant's information to
127	127	register to vote or voter registration number and county election
128	128	precinct of registration, as applicable, with a statement informing
129	129	the applicant that failure to furnish that information does not
130	130	invalidate the application; and
131	131	(4) on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail:
132	132	(A) a space for an applicant applying on the
133	133	ground of absence from the county of residence to indicate the date
134	134	on or after which the applicant can receive mail at the address
135	135	outside the county;
136	136	(B) a space for indicating the fact that an
137	137	applicant whose application is signed by a witness cannot make the
138	138	applicant's mark and a space for indicating the relationship or
139	139	lack of relationship of the witness to the applicant;
140	140	(C) a space for entering an applicant's telephone
141	141	number and e-mail address, with a statement informing the applicant
142	142	that failure to furnish that information does not invalidate the
143	143	application;
144	144	(D) a space or box for an applicant applying on
145	145	the ground of age or disability to indicate that the address to
146	146	which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a facility or
147	147	relative described by Section 84.002(a)(3), if applicable;
148	148	(E) a space or box for an applicant applying on
149	149	the ground of confinement in jail to indicate that the address to
150	150	which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a relative
151	151	described by Section 84.002(a)(4), if applicable;
152	152	(F) a space for an applicant applying on the
153	153	ground of age or disability to indicate if the application is an
154	154	application under Section 86.0015;
155	155	(G) spaces for entering the signature, printed
156	156	name, and residence address of any person assisting the applicant;
157	157	(H) a statement informing the applicant of the
158	158	condition prescribed by Section 81.005; and
159	159	(I) a statement informing the applicant of the
160	160	requirement prescribed by Section 86.003(c).
161	161	SECTION 6. Section 84.014, Election Code, is amended to
162	162	read as follows:
163	163	Sec. 84.014. ACTION BY EARLY VOTING CLERK ON CERTAIN
164	164	APPLICATIONS. (a) If an applicant provides a date of birth,
165	165	driver's license number, [or] social security number, or other
166	166	information required for registration under Title 2 on the
167	167	applicant's application for an early voting ballot to be voted by
168	168	mail that is different from or in addition to the information
169	169	maintained by the voter registrar in accordance with that title
170	170	[Title 2], the early voting clerk shall notify the voter
171	171	registrar. The voter registrar shall update the voter's record
172	172	with the information provided by the applicant.
173	173	(b) The submission of an application for an early voting
174	174	ballot to be voted by mail by an unregistered applicant that
175	175	complies with the applicable requirements and contains the
176	176	information required for registration under Title 2 constitutes
177	177	registration by the applicant.
178	178	SECTION 7. Section 86.001(e), Election Code, is amended to
179	179	read as follows:
180	180	(e) If the applicant does not have an effective voter
181	181	registration for the election, the clerk shall reject the
182	182	application unless:
183	183	(1) the clerk can determine from the voter registrar
184	184	that the applicant has submitted a voter registration application
185	185	and the registration will be effective on election day; or
186	186	(2) the application contains the information that is
187	187	required for registration under Title 2 and the registration will
188	188	be effective on election day.
189	189	SECTION 8. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an
190	190	application for a ballot to be voted by mail submitted for an
191	191	election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. An
192	192	application for a ballot to be voted by mail submitted for an
193	193	election ordered before the effective date of this Act is governed
194	194	by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former
195	195	law is continued in effect for that purpose.
196	196	SECTION 9. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
197	197	over another Act of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021,
198	198	relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
199	199	codes.
200	200	SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.