| 1 | 1 | | By: Reynolds H.B. No. 45 |
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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 electronic voter registration. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The |
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| 11 | 11 | | secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person with |
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| 12 | 12 | | an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card |
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| 13 | 13 | | issued in this state to complete a voter registration application |
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| 14 | 14 | | over the Internet from a secure Internet website. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) The Internet website established under this section |
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| 16 | 16 | | must allow a person to submit: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) an initial application for registration; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) an application to update a voter registration |
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| 19 | 19 | | record. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) When a person submits an application under this section, |
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| 21 | 21 | | the secretary of state shall compare the information provided by |
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| 22 | 22 | | the applicant against the Department of Public Safety records. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (d) The completed online application and information from |
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| 24 | 24 | | the Department of Public Safety, including the applicant's digital |
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| 25 | 25 | | signature, shall be provided to: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) the county voter registration office for the |
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| 27 | 27 | | county where the applicant currently resides; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) the secretary of state for the statewide |
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| 29 | 29 | | computerized voter registration list under Section 18.061. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (e) An application electronically submitted under this |
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| 31 | 31 | | section is considered for all purposes as an application submitted |
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| 32 | 32 | | by mail under this title. A digital signature given as provided by |
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| 33 | 33 | | secretary of state rule meets the signature requirement under |
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| 34 | 34 | | Section 13.002(b). |
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| 35 | 35 | | (f) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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| 36 | 36 | | implement this section. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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| 38 | 38 | | last day of the legislative session. |
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