| 1 | 1 | | By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 1218 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to postage for early voting ballots voted by mail. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 86.002, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a-1) The officially prescribed carrier envelope shall be |
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| 13 | 13 | | prepared so that it can be mailed free of United States postage. The |
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| 14 | 14 | | secretary of state shall adopt rules necessary for the |
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| 15 | 15 | | administration of this subsection. |
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| 16 | 16 | | SECTION 2. Section 86.013(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 17 | 17 | | read as follows: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (a) "Carrier Envelope for Early Voting Ballot," the name and |
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| 19 | 19 | | official title of the early voting clerk as addressee, [and] the |
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| 20 | 20 | | clerk's official mailing address, and an indication that return |
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| 21 | 21 | | postage for the envelope and balloting materials is prepaid must be |
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| 22 | 22 | | printed on the face of each official carrier envelope for a ballot |
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| 23 | 23 | | to be voted by mail. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 3. Section 86.002(e), Election Code, is repealed. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 26 | 26 | | to an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 27 | 27 | | An election ordered before the effective date of this Act is |
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| 28 | 28 | | governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective |
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| 29 | 29 | | date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that |
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| 30 | 30 | | purpose. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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