| 1 | 1 | | By: Crockett H.B. No. 200 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to voter education for residents of certain long-term care |
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| 7 | 7 | | facilities. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 31.0125 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 31.0125. VOTER EDUCATION PAMPHLET FOR LONG-TERM CARE |
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| 12 | 12 | | FACILITY RESIDENTS. (a) In this section, "long-term care |
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| 13 | 13 | | facility" means a facility licensed under Chapter 242, 247, or 252, |
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| 14 | 14 | | Health and Safety Code. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) The secretary of state shall develop a voter education |
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| 16 | 16 | | pamphlet for long-term care facility residents. The pamphlet must |
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| 17 | 17 | | include information on: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) a resident's voting rights, including information |
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| 19 | 19 | | contained in the notice of voters' rights publicized under Section |
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| 20 | 20 | | 62.0115; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) the voting process, including general information |
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| 22 | 22 | | on common deceptive practices and disenfranchisement methods that |
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| 23 | 23 | | may occur during the voting process. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) The secretary of state shall make the voter education |
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| 25 | 25 | | pamphlet available on the secretary's Internet website. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 242, Health and Safety |
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| 27 | 27 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 242.020 to read as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | Sec. 242.020. VOTER EDUCATION FOR RESIDENTS. (a) In this |
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| 29 | 29 | | section, "voter education pamphlet" means the voter education |
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| 30 | 30 | | pamphlet for long-term care facility residents developed by the |
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| 31 | 31 | | secretary of state under Section 31.0125, Election Code. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) A nursing facility employee shall, not later than the |
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| 33 | 33 | | 30th day before the date of an election in which residents are |
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| 34 | 34 | | generally eligible to vote and using information contained in the |
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| 35 | 35 | | voter education pamphlet as a reference, inform each resident, |
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| 36 | 36 | | verbally and in an audible and intelligible manner, of the |
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| 37 | 37 | | resident's voting rights and the voting process. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) Each nursing facility shall make copies of the voter |
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| 39 | 39 | | education pamphlet available in common areas of the facility. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 247, Health and Safety |
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| 41 | 41 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 247.072 to read as follows: |
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| 42 | 42 | | Sec. 247.072. VOTER EDUCATION FOR RESIDENTS. (a) In this |
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| 43 | 43 | | section, "voter education pamphlet" means the voter education |
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| 44 | 44 | | pamphlet for long-term care facility residents developed by the |
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| 45 | 45 | | secretary of state under Section 31.0125, Election Code. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (b) An assisted living facility employee shall, not later |
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| 47 | 47 | | than the 30th day before the date of an election in which facility |
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| 48 | 48 | | residents are generally eligible to vote and using information |
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| 49 | 49 | | contained in the voter education pamphlet as a reference, inform |
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| 50 | 50 | | each resident, verbally and in an audible and intelligible manner, |
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| 51 | 51 | | of the resident's voting rights and the voting process. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (c) Each assisted living facility shall make copies of the |
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| 53 | 53 | | voter education pamphlet available in common areas of the facility. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 252, Health and Safety |
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| 55 | 55 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 252.012 to read as follows: |
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| 56 | 56 | | Sec. 252.012. VOTER EDUCATION FOR RESIDENTS. (a) In this |
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| 57 | 57 | | section, "voter education pamphlet" means the voter education |
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| 58 | 58 | | pamphlet for long-term care facility residents developed by the |
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| 59 | 59 | | secretary of state under Section 31.0125, Election Code. |
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| 60 | 60 | | (b) A facility employee shall, not later than the 30th day |
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| 61 | 61 | | before the date of an election in which residents are generally |
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| 62 | 62 | | eligible to vote and using information contained in the voter |
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| 63 | 63 | | education pamphlet as a reference, inform each resident, verbally |
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| 64 | 64 | | and in an audible and intelligible manner, of the resident's voting |
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| 65 | 65 | | rights and the voting process. |
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| 66 | 66 | | (c) Each facility shall make copies of the voter education |
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| 67 | 67 | | pamphlet available in common areas of the facility. |
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| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 5. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 69 | 69 | | of this Act, the secretary of state shall develop the voter |
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| 70 | 70 | | education pamphlet for long-term care facility residents required |
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| 71 | 71 | | by Section 31.0125, Election Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 72 | 72 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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