H.B. No. 5180
AN ACT
relating to the public inspection of election records.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 1.012, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsections (f), (g), and (h) to
read as follows:
(e) Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (g), an [An]
election record shall be available not later than the 15th day after
election day in an electronic format for a fee of not more than $50.
(f) Beginning on the first day after the date the final
canvass of an election is completed, the general custodian of
election records shall make available for public inspection
election records that are:
(1) images of voted ballots, if a county maintains
images of voted ballots; or
(2) cast vote records.
(g) Beginning on the 61st day after election day, the
general custodian of election records shall make available for
public inspection election records that are original voted ballots.
(h) The custodian shall adopt procedures to ensure the
redaction of any personally identifiable information of the voter
contained on a ballot before making the voted ballot available for
public inspection.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 5180 was passed by the House on May 6,
2023, by the following vote: Yeas 133, Nays 1, 2 present, not
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
No. 5180 on May 26, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 138, Nays 1,
2 present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 5180 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 19, Nays
11.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor