Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1070 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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1	1	88R1448 ADM-D
2	2	By: Guerra H.B. No. 1070
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the methods of voter registration.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
10	10	amended by adding Sections 13.009 and 13.010 to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 13.009. AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH
12	12	DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR CERTAIN PERSONS. (a) The voter
13	13	registrar of each county shall automatically register any county
14	14	resident who is 18 years of age, eligible to vote as provided by
15	15	Section 13.001, and issued a Texas driver's license or a personal
16	16	identification card by the Department of Public Safety unless the
17	17	resident chooses not to be registered.
18	18	(b) A driver's license or personal identification card
19	19	transaction with an indication provided by Section 20.063(c) that
20	20	the transaction is not for voter registration purposes is not
21	21	subject to this section.
22	22	Sec. 13.010. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
23	23	secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person to
24	24	complete a voter registration application over the Internet from
25	25	the official Internet website of this state. The Internet websites
26	26	of the secretary of state and the Department of Public Safety must
27	27	also provide a link to the location of the application on the
28	28	official Internet website of this state.
29	29	(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has
30	30	an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card
31	31	issued in this state must:
32	32	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
33	33	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
34	34	and
35	35	(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
36	36	on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
37	37	for voter registration purposes.
38	38	(c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does
39	39	not have an unexpired driver's license or personal identification
40	40	card issued in this state must:
41	41	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
42	42	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
43	43	and
44	44	(2) print a registration application from the Internet
45	45	website the applicant is using to register, sign the application,
46	46	and mail it to the registrar.
47	47	(d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b),
48	48	the program shall require that a digital copy of the applicant's
49	49	signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety.
50	50	(e) For each application submitted under Subsection (c),
51	51	the program shall provide the applicant with:
52	52	(1) a registration application that the applicant can
53	53	print from the registration website, sign, and mail to the
54	54	registrar as required under Subsection (c)(2); and
55	55	(2) information about how the applicant can obtain a
56	56	driver's license or personal identification card from the
57	57	Department of Public Safety.
58	58	(f) An application submitted under this section is
59	59	considered for all purposes an application submitted by mail under
60	60	this title.
61	61	(g) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
62	62	implement this section, including rules to provide for additional
63	63	security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of
64	64	applications submitted electronically.
65	65	(h) The rules adopted under Subsection (g) must require
66	66	that:
67	67	(1) the Internet website through which a person may
68	68	complete a voter registration application include a description of
69	69	the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location
70	70	on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the
71	71	application; and
72	72	(2) the state electronic Internet portal project be
73	73	used to authenticate the identity of a person who submits an
74	74	application electronically under this section.
75	75	SECTION 2. Section 20.061, Election Code, is amended to
76	76	read as follows:
77	77	Sec. 20.061. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS. The other
78	78	provisions of this chapter apply to the Department of Public Safety
79	79	except provisions that conflict with this subchapter or Section
80	80	13.009.
81	81	SECTION 3. Section 20.063, Election Code, is amended by
82	82	amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read
83	83	as follows:
84	84	(a) The Department of Public Safety shall provide to each
85	85	person who applies in person, by mail, or online at the department's
86	86	Internet website [at the department's offices] for an original or
87	87	renewal of a driver's license, a personal identification card, or a
88	88	duplicate or corrected license or card an opportunity to complete a
89	89	voter registration application form.
90	90	(c) A change of address that relates to a license or card and
91	91	that is submitted to the department in person, [or] by mail, or
92	92	online at the department's Internet website serves as a change of
93	93	address for voter registration unless the licensee or cardholder
94	94	indicates that the change is not for voter registration purposes.
95	95	The date of submission of a change of address to a department
96	96	employee is considered to be the date of submission to the voter
97	97	registrar for the purpose of determining the effective date of
98	98	registration [only].
99	99	(e) The Department of Public Safety shall consider an
100	100	application made in person, by mail, or online at the department's
101	101	Internet website for an original or renewal of a driver's license, a
102	102	personal identification card, or a duplicate or corrected license
103	103	or card by a person who is 18 years of age and eligible to vote as
104	104	provided by Section 13.001 an application for voter registration.
105	105	The date of application is considered to be the date of submission
106	106	to the voter registrar for the purpose of determining the effective
107	107	date of registration. The registration of an eligible voter under
108	108	this subsection is automatic unless the person indicates that the
109	109	person is choosing not to be registered or that the transaction is
110	110	not for voter registration purposes.
111	111	SECTION 4. Section 20.065(b), Election Code, is amended to
112	112	read as follows:
113	113	(b) Each weekday the department is regularly open for
114	114	business, the department shall electronically transfer to the
115	115	secretary of state the name and information designated by the
116	116	secretary of state for [of] each person who completes a voter
117	117	registration application submitted to the department and for each
118	118	individual who is eligible for registration under Section
119	119	20.063(e). The secretary shall prescribe procedures necessary to
120	120	implement this subsection.
121	121	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.