Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB943 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R2973 LRM-D
2	2	By: Dutton H.B. No. 943
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to voter registration, including electronic voter
8	8	registration.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 12.006(f), Election Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	(f) A regular deputy registrar may not assist in the
13	13	registration of voters until the deputy registrar has completed
14	14	training developed under Section 12.007 [13.047]. At the time of
15	15	appointment, the voter registrar shall provide information about
16	16	the times and places at which training is offered.
17	17	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
18	18	amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:
19	19	Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
20	20	secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person who
21	21	has a valid state-issued driver's license or personal
22	22	identification card to complete a voter registration application
23	23	over the Internet from an official state website. The secretary of
24	24	state may develop an Internet website for this purpose.
25	25	(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration must:
26	26	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
27	27	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
28	28	(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
29	29	on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
30	30	for voter registration purposes;
31	31	(3) provide the information required under Section
32	32	13.002(c); and
33	33	(4) provide the audit number and date of issuance of
34	34	the applicant's Texas driver's license or personal identification
35	35	card issued by the Department of Public Safety.
36	36	(c) When a person submits an application under this section,
37	37	the secretary of state shall compare the information provided by
38	38	the applicant against Department of Public Safety records. If any
39	39	information submitted by an applicant does not match Department of
40	40	Public Safety records, the secretary shall reject the application.
41	41	(d) When a person submits an application under this section,
42	42	the Internet Protocol address of the device used to submit the
43	43	application shall be recorded and included with the applicant's
44	44	application file under Section 13.101 or 13.102, as appropriate.
45	45	(e) The completed online application and information from
46	46	the Department of Public Safety, including all copies of the
47	47	applicant's digital signature on record, shall be provided to:
48	48	(1) the voter registrar for the county where the
49	49	applicant currently resides; and
50	50	(2) the secretary of state for the statewide
51	51	computerized voter registration list under Section 18.061.
52	52	(f) An application submitted electronically under this
53	53	section is considered for all purposes as an application submitted
54	54	by mail under this title.
55	55	(g) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
56	56	implement this section.
57	57	SECTION 3. Section 13.047, Election Code, is transferred to
58	58	Subchapter A, Chapter 12, Election Code, and redesignated as
59	59	Section 12.007, Election Code, to read as follows:
60	60	Sec. 12.007 [13.047]. TRAINING STANDARDS FOR DEPUTY
61	61	REGISTRARS. (a) The secretary of state shall:
62	62	(1) adopt standards of training in election law
63	63	relating to the registration of voters;
64	64	(2) develop materials for a standardized curriculum
65	65	for that training; and
66	66	(3) distribute the materials as necessary to each
67	67	county voter registrar.
68	68	(b) The training standards may include the passage of an
69	69	examination at the end of a training program.
70	70	SECTION 4. Section 20.037(c), Election Code, is amended to
71	71	read as follows:
72	72	(c) An application form delivered by mail must be
73	73	accompanied by a notice informing the applicant that the
74	74	application may be submitted in person or by mail to the voter
75	75	registrar of the county in which the applicant resides [or in person
76	76	to a volunteer deputy registrar for delivery to the voter registrar
77	77	of the county in which the applicant resides].
78	78	SECTION 5. Section 20.122(c), Election Code, is amended to
79	79	read as follows:
80	80	(c) The application forms must be accompanied by a notice
81	81	informing the licensees that the applications may be submitted in
82	82	person or by mail to the voter registrar of the county in which they
83	83	reside [or in person to a volunteer deputy registrar for delivery to
84	84	the voter registrar of the county in which they reside].
85	85	SECTION 6. Section 31.040(b), Election Code, is amended to
86	86	read as follows:
87	87	(b) The commissioners court or the administrator may
88	88	require any or all of the administrator's deputies[, other than
89	89	unpaid volunteer deputy registrars,] to give a bond similar to that
90	90	required of the administrator in an amount not exceeding the amount
91	91	of the administrator's bond.
92	92	SECTION 7. Section 31.161(b), Election Code, is amended to
93	93	read as follows:
94	94	(b) The joint elections commission or the joint elections
95	95	administrator may require any or all of the administrator's
96	96	deputies[, other than unpaid volunteer deputy registrars,] to give
97	97	a bond similar to that required of the administrator in an amount
98	98	not exceeding the amount of the administrator's bond.
99	99	SECTION 8. The following provisions of the Election Code
100	100	are repealed:
101	101	(1) the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 13; and
102	102	(2) Sections 13.031, 13.032, 13.033, 13.034, 13.035,
103	103	13.036, 13.037, 13.038, 13.039, 13.040, 13.041, 13.042, 13.043,
104	104	13.044, 13.045, 13.046, and 13.048.
105	105	SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.