88R2322 MLH-F By: Hefner H.B. No. 1243 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the penalty for the offense of illegal voting; increasing a criminal penalty. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 64.012(b), Election Code, is amended to read as follows: (b) An offense under this section is a felony of the second degree unless the person is convicted of an attempt, in which event it is a state jail felony [Class A misdemeanor]. SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.