| 1 | 1 | | By: Bucy H.B. No. 218 |
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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 notifications given to a person convicted of a felony |
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| 7 | 7 | | concerning the person's eligibility to vote. |
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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. Article 42.03, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 6 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 6. The court after pronouncing the sentence of a |
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| 12 | 12 | | defendant convicted of a felony shall inform the defendant, in |
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| 13 | 13 | | writing using clear language, of how the felony conviction will |
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| 14 | 14 | | impact the defendant's right to vote in this state. |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 15, Election Code, is |
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| 16 | 16 | | amended by adding Section 15.029 to read as follows: |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 15.029. NOTIFICATION OF REGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY BY |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECRETARY OF STATE. (a) This section applies to a person who is |
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| 19 | 19 | | ineligible to vote in this state under Section 13.001(a)(4) because |
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| 20 | 20 | | the person was finally convicted of a felony. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) The secretary of state shall coordinate with the Texas |
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| 22 | 22 | | Department of Criminal Justice, the Department of Public Safety, |
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| 23 | 23 | | and any other relevant agency to determine when a person to whom |
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| 24 | 24 | | this section applies has regained eligibility to vote in accordance |
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| 25 | 25 | | with Section 13.001(a)(4)(A) or (B). |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) At the time a person to whom this section applies |
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| 27 | 27 | | regains eligibility to vote, the secretary of state shall use best |
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| 28 | 28 | | efforts to provide the person with: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) a notice informing the person in plain language |
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| 30 | 30 | | that the person may be eligible to register to vote, including |
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| 31 | 31 | | instructions for registration; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) a voter registration application. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (d) The secretary of state shall post on the secretary's |
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| 34 | 34 | | Internet website a generic version of the notice described by |
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| 35 | 35 | | Subsection (c)(1). |
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| 36 | 36 | | (e) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 37 | 37 | | administer this section. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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| 39 | 39 | | last day of the legislative session. |
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