| 1 | 1 | | 88R1801 MLH-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Vo H.B. No. 3347 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to the voter registration of naturalized United States |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | citizens. |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 13.002(a), Election Code, is amended to |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | (a) Except as provided by Section 13.009, a [A] person |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | desiring to register to vote must submit an application to the |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | registrar of the county in which the person resides. Except as |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | provided by Subsection (e), an application must be submitted by |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | personal delivery, by mail, or by telephonic facsimile machine in |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | accordance with Sections 13.143(d) and (d-2). |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 13.009. VOTER REGISTRATION OF NATURALIZED CITIZEN. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (a) The voter registrar of each county shall automatically |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | register a resident of the county who is eligible to vote as |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | provided by Section 13.001 upon issuance of a certificate of |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | naturalization by the United States Citizenship and Immigration |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Services. |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (b) For the purposes of Subsection (a), the Department of |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Public Safety may, in cooperation with the United States |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Citizenship and Immigration Services, establish a procedure by |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | which the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | notifies the department when a person lawfully present in this |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | state is issued a certificate of naturalization. |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (c) A procedure established under Subsection (b) must |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | require the Department of Public Safety to provide the information |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | received from the United States Citizenship and Immigration |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | Services to the appropriate county registrar. |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (d) If the United States Citizenship and Immigration |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | Services fails to notify the Department of Public Safety that a |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | person lawfully present in this state has been issued a certificate |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | of naturalization, the newly naturalized citizen may present the |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | certificate of naturalization to the appropriate county registrar |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | in satisfaction of Section 13.002(c)(3). The registrar shall |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | assist the person in registering to vote. |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|---|