Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1295 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R2464 ADM-D
2	2	By: Goodwin H.B. No. 1295
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to electronic 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 Section 13.009 to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
12	12	secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person to
13	13	complete a voter registration application over the Internet from
14	14	the official website of this state. The Internet websites of the
15	15	secretary of state and the Department of Public Safety must also
16	16	provide a link to the location of the application on the official
17	17	website of this state.
18	18	(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has
19	19	an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card
20	20	issued in this state must:
21	21	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
22	22	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
23	23	and
24	24	(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
25	25	on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
26	26	for voter registration purposes.
27	27	(c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does
28	28	not have an unexpired driver's license or personal identification
29	29	card issued in this state must:
30	30	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
31	31	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
32	32	and
33	33	(2) print a registration application from the website
34	34	the applicant is using to register, sign the application, and mail
35	35	it to the registrar.
36	36	(d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b),
37	37	the program shall require that a digital copy of the applicant's
38	38	signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety.
39	39	(e) For each application submitted under Subsection (c),
40	40	the program shall provide the applicant with:
41	41	(1) a registration application that the applicant can
42	42	print from the registration website, sign, and mail to the
43	43	registrar as required under Subsection (c)(2); and
44	44	(2) information about how the applicant can obtain a
45	45	driver's license or personal identification card from the
46	46	Department of Public Safety.
47	47	(f) An application submitted under this section is
48	48	considered for all purposes an application submitted by mail under
49	49	this title.
50	50	(g) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
51	51	implement this section, including rules to provide for additional
52	52	security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of
53	53	applications submitted electronically.
54	54	(h) The rules adopted under Subsection (g) must require
55	55	that:
56	56	(1) the Internet website through which a person may
57	57	complete a voter registration application include a description of
58	58	the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location
59	59	on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the
60	60	application; and
61	61	(2) the state electronic Internet portal project be
62	62	used to authenticate the identity of a person who submits an
63	63	application electronically under this section.
64	64	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.