| 1 | 1 | | 88R19169 LRM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen, Morales of Maverick H.B. No. 1208 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the reading and marking of a ballot by a person |
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| 8 | 8 | | occupying a voting station or by the person's child. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 31.131 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 31.131. EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON CHILD PARTICIPATION |
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| 13 | 13 | | IN VOTING. (a) The secretary of state shall develop voter |
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| 14 | 14 | | education materials for parents on the procedures under Section |
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| 15 | 15 | | 64.002(b) that allow a child under 14 years of age to read and mark |
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| 16 | 16 | | the ballot while accompanying the child's parent to a voting |
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| 17 | 17 | | station. The secretary shall make the voter education materials |
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| 18 | 18 | | available on the secretary's Internet website. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) The county officer responsible for administering |
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| 20 | 20 | | elections in a county to which Section 31.125 applies shall make the |
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| 21 | 21 | | voter education materials developed by the secretary of state under |
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| 22 | 22 | | Subsection (a) available on the county's Internet website. |
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| 23 | 23 | | SECTION 2. Section 64.002(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 24 | 24 | | read as follows: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) A child under 18 years of age may accompany the child's |
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| 26 | 26 | | parent to a voting station, and if the child is under 14 years of |
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| 27 | 27 | | age, may read or mark the ballot at the direction of the parent. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Reading or marking a ballot under this subsection does not |
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| 29 | 29 | | constitute assisting a voter for purposes of Subchapter B. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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