88R3555 LRM-D
By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 2624
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the voter registration powers of volunteer deputy
registrars.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 13.032, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 13.032. PROHIBITION ON REFUSING TO APPOINT. A
registrar may not refuse to appoint as a volunteer deputy
registrar:
(1) a person eligible for appointment under Section
13.031(d); [or]
(2) any person on the basis of sex, race, creed, color,
or national origin or ancestry; or
(3) an otherwise eligible person that distributes
voter registration application forms provided by the secretary of
state under Section 13.002 in accordance with any procedures
prescribed under Section 13.038(b).
SECTION 2. Section 13.033(b), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) If a person is to be appointed, the registrar shall
prepare a certificate of appointment in duplicate containing:
(1) the date of appointment;
(2) the statement: "I, ____________, Voter Registrar
for ____________ County, do hereby appoint ____________ as a
volunteer deputy registrar [for ____________ County].";
(3) the person's residence address;
(4) the person's voter registration number, if any;
(5) a statement that the term of the appointment
expires December 31 of an even-numbered year; and
(6) a statement that the appointment terminates on the
person's final conviction for an offense for failure to deliver a
registration application and may terminate on the registrar's
determination that the person failed to adequately review a
registration application, intentionally destroyed or physically
altered a registration application, or engaged in any other
activity that conflicts with the responsibilities of a volunteer
deputy registrar under this chapter.
SECTION 3. Section 13.037(a), Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(a) A person may not receive compensation from any [the]
county for service as a volunteer deputy registrar unless
compensation is authorized by the commissioners court of that
county.
SECTION 4. Section 13.038, Election Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 13.038. POWERS GENERALLY. (a) A volunteer deputy
registrar may distribute voter registration application forms
throughout the county in which the deputy was appointed and receive
registration applications submitted to the deputy in person.
(b) A volunteer deputy registrar may serve as a volunteer
deputy registrar throughout this state regardless of the county in
which the deputy was appointed. A volunteer deputy registrar may
distribute a voter registration application in the form prescribed
by the secretary of state under Section 31.002 throughout this
state and receive an application in that form submitted to the
deputy in person, regardless of the county in which the application
was printed. The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to
implement this subsection.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.