Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1235 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Zwiener H.B. No. 1235
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6	6	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	7	AN ACT
8	8	Relating to the ability of a voter registrar and volunteer deputy
9	9	registrar to distribute and receive applications for a ballot to be
10	10	voted by mail.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 12, Election Code, is amended by adding
13	13	Subchapter C to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER C. APPLICATION FORMS FOR A BALLOT TO BE VOTED BY MAIL
15	15	Sec. 12.035. APPLICATION FORMS FURNISHED BY VOTER
16	16	REGISTRAR. (a) A voter registrar shall maintain a supply of
17	17	official application forms for a ballot to be voted by mail and
18	18	furnish the forms to voters in person.
19	19	(b) A voter may submit an application for a ballot to be
20	20	voted by mail by delivering the application to a voter registrar.
21	21	(c) A volunteer deputy registrar shall submit to the voter
22	22	registrar an application for a ballot to be voted by mail as
23	23	provided by Subchapter C, Chapter 84.
24	24	Sec. 12.036. DELIVERY OF APPLICATION TO EARLY VOTING CLERK.
25	25	(a) If a voter to register is not also the early voting clerk, the
26	26	voter registrar shall deliver in person, to the early voting clerk
27	27	each completed application for a ballot to be voted by mail
28	28	submitted to the voter registrar, as provided by this subchapter.
29	29	The secretary of state shall prescribe any procedures necessary to
30	30	ensure the proper and timely delivery of completed applications
31	31	that are not delivered in person by the volunteer deputy who
32	32	receives them.
33	33	(b) An application shall be delivered to the early voting
34	34	clerk not later than the deadline provided by Section 84.007(c),
35	35	but not before an action on application to register has been made as
36	36	provided by Section 13.072, if such an application to register
37	37	accompanies an application form for a ballot to be voted by mail.
38	38	SECTION 2. Section 13.038, Election Code, is amended to
39	39	read as follows:
40	40	Sec. 13.038. POWERS GENERALLY. (a) A volunteer deputy
41	41	registrar may distribute voter registration application forms
42	42	throughout the county and receive registration applications
43	43	submitted to the deputy in person.
44	44	(b) A volunteer deputy registrar may distribute application
45	45	forms for a ballot to be voted by mail throughout the county and
46	46	receive applications for a ballot to be voted by mail submitted to
47	47	the deputy in person as provided by Subchapter C, Chapter 84.
48	48	SECTION 3. Section 84.007(b), Election Code, is amended to
49	49	read as follows:
50	50	(b) An application must be submitted to the early voting
51	51	clerk by:
52	52	(1) mail;
53	53	(2) common or contract carrier;
54	54	(2-a) the voter registrar, if other than the early
55	55	voting clerk;
56	56	(3) subject to Subsection (b-1), telephonic facsimile
57	57	machine, if a machine is available in the clerk's officer; or
58	58	(4) subject to Subsection (b-1), electronic
59	59	transmission of a scanned application containing an original
60	60	signature.
61	61	SECTION 4. Chapter 84, Election Code, is amended by adding
62	62	Subchapter C to read as follows:
63	63	SUBCHAPTER C. VOLUNTEER DEPUTY REGISTRARS
64	64	Sec. 84.051. APPLICATION FORMS FURNISHED BY VOLUNTEER
65	65	DEPUTY REGISTRAR. (a) A volunteer deputy registrar may maintain a
66	66	supply of official application forms for a ballot to be voted by
67	67	mail and shall furnish the forms to voters throughout the county in
68	68	a manner consistent with law.
69	69	(b) A voter may submit an application for a ballot to be
70	70	voted by mail by delivering the application to a volunteer deputy
71	71	registrar.
72	72	(c) To the extent practicable, the procedure under this
73	73	section for distributing applications for a ballot to be vote by
74	74	mail and delivering applications shall be the same as the procedure
75	75	for delivering a registration application under Subchapter B,
76	76	Chapter 13.
77	77	Sec. 84.052. DELIVERY OF APPLICATION TO VOTER REGISTRAR.
78	78	(a) A volunteer deputy registrar shall deliver in person, or by
79	79	personal delivery through another designated volunteer deputy, to
80	80	the voter registrar each completed application for a ballot to be
81	81	voted by mail submitted to the deputy, as provided by this section.
82	82	The secretary of state shall prescribe any procedures necessary to
83	83	ensure the proper and timely delivery of completed applications
84	84	that are not delivered in person by the volunteer deputy who
85	85	receives them.
86	86	(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an application
87	87	shall be delivered to the voter registrar not later than 5 p.m. of
88	88	the fifth day after the date the application is submitted to the
89	89	volunteer deputy registrar.
90	90	(c) An application submitted after the 15th day before the
91	91	date of an election and on or before the last day for a person to
92	92	timely submit an application for a ballot to be voted by mail for
93	93	that election as provided by Section 84.007 shall be delivered to
94	94	the voter registrar not later than 5 p.m. of the next regular
95	95	business day after the date to timely submit an application for a
96	96	ballot to be voted by mail for that election as provided by Section
97	97	13.143.
98	98	Sec. 84.053. FAILURE TO DELIVER APPLICATION. (a) A
99	99	volunteer deputy registrar commits an offense if the deputy fails
100	100	to comply with Section 84.052.
101	101	(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an offense under
102	102	this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
103	103	(c) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor
104	104	if the deputy's failure to comply is intentional.
105	105	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.