Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3683 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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1	1	88R12879 MLH-D
2	2	By: Jones of Harris H.B. No. 3683
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to automatic voter registration on interaction with a
8	8	voter registration agency.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Sections 13.010 and 13.011 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 13.010. VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF
13	13	PUBLIC SAFETY. (a) The voter registrar of each county shall
14	14	automatically register any county resident who is eligible to vote
15	15	as provided by Section 13.001 and:
16	16	(1) is issued a Texas driver's license or a personal
17	17	identification card by the Department of Public Safety; or
18	18	(2) makes a change to a Texas driver's license or
19	19	personal identification card issued by the Department of Public
20	20	Safety.
21	21	(b) A driver's license or personal identification card
22	22	transaction with an indication provided by Section 20.062(b) or
23	23	20.063(c) that the transaction is not for voter registration
24	24	purposes is not subject to this section.
25	25	Sec. 13.011. VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH VOTER REGISTRATION
26	26	AGENCIES. (a) The voter registrar of each county shall
27	27	automatically register any county resident who is eligible to vote
28	28	as provided by Section 13.001 and applies for services from a voter
29	29	registration agency under Subchapter B, Chapter 20.
30	30	(b) An application for services is not subject to this
31	31	section if the application is accompanied by:
32	32	(1) an indication under Section 20.002(b) that the
33	33	transaction is not for voter registration; or
34	34	(2) a declination form under Section 20.036.
35	35	(c) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures for
36	36	the implementation of this section.
37	37	SECTION 2. Section 20.002, Election Code, is amended to
38	38	read as follows:
39	39	Sec. 20.002. AGENCY-PRESCRIBED REGISTRATION APPLICATION
40	40	FORM. (a) A voter registration agency under this subchapter shall
41	41	prescribe and use a form and procedure that combines a form for
42	42	services from that agency with an officially prescribed voter
43	43	registration application form.
44	44	(b) A voter registration agency under this subchapter shall
45	45	prescribe and use a form and procedure that requests a person's
46	46	address and that combines agency and voter registration functions.
47	47	The form must allow a person to indicate that a change of address is
48	48	not for voter registration purposes.
49	49	(c) The design, content, and physical characteristics of
50	50	the agency forms must be [Instead of using the official voter
51	51	registration application form prescribed by the secretary of state,
52	52	a voter registration agency may use an official form prescribed by
53	53	the agency, if] approved by the secretary of state.
54	54	SECTION 3. Section 20.032(a), Election Code, is amended to
55	55	read as follows:
56	56	(a) An appropriate agency employee shall [routinely] inform
57	57	each person who applies in person for agency services of the
58	58	opportunity to complete a voter registration application form and
59	59	[on request] shall provide nonpartisan voter registration
60	60	assistance to the applicant.
61	61	SECTION 4. Section 20.061, Election Code, is amended to
62	62	read as follows:
63	63	Sec. 20.061. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS. The other
64	64	provisions of this chapter apply to the Department of Public Safety
65	65	except provisions that conflict with this subchapter or Section
66	66	13.010.
67	67	SECTION 5. Section 20.062(b), Election Code, is amended to
68	68	read as follows:
69	69	(b) The department shall prescribe and use a change of
70	70	address form and procedure that combines department and voter
71	71	registration functions. The form must allow a licensee or
72	72	cardholder to indicate that [whether] the change of address is not
73	73	[also to be used] for voter registration purposes.
74	74	SECTION 6. Section 20.063, Election Code, is amended to
75	75	read as follows:
76	76	Sec. 20.063. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. (a) The Department
77	77	of Public Safety shall consider an application made in person, by
78	78	mail, or online at the department's Internet website [provide to
79	79	each person who applies in person at the department's offices] for
80	80	an original or renewal of a driver's license, a personal
81	81	identification card, or a duplicate or corrected license or card by
82	82	a person who is eligible to vote as provided by Section 13.001 an
83	83	application for [opportunity to complete a] voter registration.
84	84	The date of application is considered to be the date of submission
85	85	to the voter registrar for the purpose of determining the effective
86	86	date of registration [application form].
87	87	(b) The Department of Public Safety shall consider a change
88	88	of address that relates to [When the department processes] a
89	89	license or card and that is submitted to [for renewal by mail,] the
90	90	department [shall deliver to the applicant by mail a voter
91	91	registration application form.
92	92	[(c) A change of address that relates to a license or card
93	93	and that is submitted to the department] in person, [or] by mail, or
94	94	online at the department's Internet website [serves] as a change in
95	95	[of address for] voter registration [unless the licensee or
96	96	cardholder indicates that the change is not for voter registration
97	97	purposes]. The date of submission of a change of address to a
98	98	department employee is considered to be the date of submission to
99	99	the voter registrar for the purpose of determining the effective
100	100	date of registration [only].
101	101	(c) The registration of an eligible [(d) If a completed]
102	102	voter as required by Subsections (a) and (b) is automatic unless the
103	103	person indicates that the transaction is not for voter
104	104	registration purposes [application submitted to a department
105	105	employee does not include the applicant's correct driver's license
106	106	number or personal identification card number, a department
107	107	employee shall enter the appropriate information on the
108	108	application. If a completed application does not include the
109	109	applicant's correct residence address or mailing address, a
110	110	department employee shall obtain the appropriate information from
111	111	the applicant and enter the information on the application].
112	112	SECTION 7. Section 20.065(b), Election Code, is amended to
113	113	read as follows:
114	114	(b) Each weekday the department is regularly open for
115	115	business, the department shall electronically transfer to the
116	116	secretary of state the name and information designated by the
117	117	secretary of state for [of each person who completes a] voter
118	118	registration for each individual who is eligible to vote as
119	119	provided by Section 13.001 and applies in person, by mail, or online
120	120	at the department's Internet website for an original or renewal of a
121	121	driver's license, a personal identification card, or a duplicate or
122	122	corrected license or card [application submitted to the
123	123	department]. The secretary shall prescribe procedures necessary to
124	124	implement this subsection.
125	125	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.