Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1338 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R8323 MLH-D
2	2	By: Hall S.B. No. 1338
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the eligibility of certain persons to vote early by
8	8	mail.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 82.003, Election Code, is repealed.
11	11	SECTION 2. Section 84.002(a), Election Code, is amended to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	(a) An early voting ballot application must include:
14	14	(1) the applicant's name and the address at which the
15	15	applicant is registered to vote;
16	16	(1-a) the following information:
17	17	(A) the number of the applicant's driver's
18	18	license, election identification certificate, or personal
19	19	identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety;
20	20	(B) if the applicant has not been issued a number
21	21	described by Paragraph (A), the last four digits of the applicant's
22	22	social security number; or
23	23	(C) a statement by the applicant that the
24	24	applicant has not been issued a number described by Paragraph (A) or
25	25	(B);
26	26	(2) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
27	27	on the ground of absence from the county of residence, the address
28	28	outside the applicant's county of residence to which the ballot is
29	29	to be mailed;
30	30	(3) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
31	31	on the ground of [age or] disability, the address of the hospital,
32	32	nursing home or other long-term care facility, or retirement
33	33	center, or of a person related to the applicant within the second
34	34	degree by affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as
35	35	determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, if the applicant is
36	36	living at that address and that address is different from the
37	37	address at which the applicant is registered to vote;
38	38	(4) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
39	39	on the ground of confinement in jail, the address of the jail or of a
40	40	person related to the applicant within the degree described by
41	41	Subdivision (3);
42	42	(5) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
43	43	on any ground, an indication of each election for which the
44	44	applicant is applying for a ballot;
45	45	(6) an indication of the ground of eligibility for
46	46	early voting; and
47	47	(7) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
48	48	on the ground of involuntary civil commitment, the address of the
49	49	facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Civil
50	50	Commitment Office or of a person related to the applicant within the
51	51	degree of consanguinity described by Subdivision (3).
52	52	SECTION 3. Section 84.011(a), Election Code, is amended to
53	53	read as follows:
54	54	(a) The officially prescribed application form for an early
55	55	voting ballot must include:
56	56	(1) immediately preceding the signature space the
57	57	statement: "I certify that the information given in this
58	58	application is true, and I understand that giving false information
59	59	in this application is a crime.";
60	60	(2) a statement informing the applicant of the
61	61	offenses prescribed by Sections 84.003 and 84.004;
62	62	(3) spaces for entering an applicant's voter
63	63	registration number and county election precinct of registration,
64	64	with a statement informing the applicant that failure to furnish
65	65	that information does not invalidate the application;
66	66	(3-a) a space for entering the information required
67	67	under Section 84.002(a)(1-a); and
68	68	(4) on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail:
69	69	(A) a space for an applicant applying on the
70	70	ground of absence from the county of residence to indicate the date
71	71	on or after which the applicant can receive mail at the address
72	72	outside the county;
73	73	(B) a space for indicating the fact that an
74	74	applicant whose application is signed by a witness cannot make the
75	75	applicant's mark and a space for indicating the relationship or
76	76	lack of relationship of the witness to the applicant;
77	77	(C) a space for entering an applicant's telephone
78	78	number, with a statement informing the applicant that failure to
79	79	furnish that information does not invalidate the application;
80	80	(D) a space or box for an applicant applying on
81	81	the ground of [age or] disability to indicate that the address to
82	82	which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a facility or
83	83	relative described by Section 84.002(a)(3), if applicable;
84	84	(E) a space or box for an applicant applying on
85	85	the ground of confinement in jail or involuntary civil commitment
86	86	to indicate that the address to which the ballot is to be mailed is
87	87	the address of a relative described by Section 84.002(a)(4) or (7),
88	88	if applicable;
89	89	(F) a space for an applicant applying on the
90	90	ground of [age or] disability to indicate if the application is an
91	91	application under Section 86.0015;
92	92	(G) spaces for entering the signature, printed
93	93	name, and residence address of any person assisting the applicant;
94	94	(H) a statement informing the applicant of the
95	95	condition prescribed by Section 81.005; and
96	96	(I) a statement informing the applicant of the
97	97	requirement prescribed by Section 86.003(c).
98	98	SECTION 4. Section 86.0015(a), Election Code, is amended to
99	99	read as follows:
100	100	(a) This section applies only to an application for a ballot
101	101	to be voted by mail that:
102	102	(1) indicates the ground of eligibility is [age or]
103	103	disability; and
104	104	(2) does not specify the election for which a ballot is
105	105	requested or has been marked by the applicant as an application for
106	106	more than one election.
107	107	SECTION 5. Section 86.003(c), Election Code, is amended to
108	108	read as follows:
109	109	(c) The address to which the balloting materials must be
110	110	addressed is the address at which the voter is registered to vote,
111	111	or the registered mailing address if different, unless the ground
112	112	for voting by mail is:
113	113	(1) absence from the county of residence, in which
114	114	case the address must be an address outside the voter's county of
115	115	residence;
116	116	(2) confinement in jail, in which case the address
117	117	must be the address of the jail or of a relative described by
118	118	Section 84.002(a)(4);
119	119	(3) [age or] disability and the voter is living at a
120	120	hospital, nursing home or other long-term care facility, or
121	121	retirement center, or with a relative described by Section
122	122	84.002(a)(3), in which case the address must be the address of that
123	123	facility or relative; or
124	124	(4) involuntary civil commitment, in which case the
125	125	address must be the address of the facility or of a relative
126	126	described by Section 84.002(a)(7).
127	127	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.