| 1 | 1 | | By: Landgraf H.B. No. 219 |
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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 a person submitting proof of citizenship to verify |
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| 9 | 9 | | eligibility to vote in Texas. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 13.002, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 12 | 12 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to |
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| 13 | 13 | | read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (a) A person desiring to register to vote must submit an |
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| 15 | 15 | | application and proof of citizenship as required under Subsection |
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| 16 | 16 | | (a-1) to the registrar of the county in which the person resides. |
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| 17 | 17 | | Except as provided by Subsection (e), an application must be |
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| 18 | 18 | | submitted by personal delivery, by mail, or by telephonic facsimile |
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| 19 | 19 | | machine in accordance with Sections 13.143(d) and (d-2). |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a-1) An applicant submitting a registration application |
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| 21 | 21 | | must present proof that the applicant is a United States citizen to: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) the registrar, if the application is submitted by |
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| 23 | 23 | | personal delivery; or |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) a Department of Public Safety employee at the |
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| 25 | 25 | | department's office, if the application is submitted by mail or by |
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| 26 | 26 | | telephonic facsimile machine. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (a-2) For purposes of Subsection (a-1), the applicant shall |
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| 28 | 28 | | present any of the following: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) the applicant's Texas driver's license that is |
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| 30 | 30 | | compliant with the federal REAL ID program; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) the applicant's Texas identification card that is |
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| 32 | 32 | | compliant with the federal REAL ID program; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) an original or certified copy of the applicant's |
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| 34 | 34 | | birth certificate; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (4) the applicant's unexpired United States passport |
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| 36 | 36 | | or card; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (5) the applicant's certificate of naturalization |
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| 38 | 38 | | issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; |
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| 39 | 39 | | or |
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| 40 | 40 | | (6) the applicant's certificate of citizenship issued |
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| 41 | 41 | | by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is |
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| 43 | 43 | | amended by adding Section 13.0022 to read as follows: |
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| 44 | 44 | | Sec. 13.0022. NOTICE TO PRESENT PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP FOR |
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| 45 | 45 | | APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY MAIL OR BY TELEPHONIC FACSIMILE MACHINE. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (a) This section applies only to a registration application |
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| 47 | 47 | | submitted by mail or by telephonic facsimile machine that does not |
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| 48 | 48 | | include proof that the applicant is a United States citizen. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (b) On receipt of a registration application, the registrar |
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| 50 | 50 | | shall transmit a notice to the applicant of the requirements of |
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| 51 | 51 | | Section 13.002 (a-1) and Section 13.002 (a-2) and include |
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| 52 | 52 | | instructions to enable the applicant to satisfy those requirements. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 54 | 54 | | to an application for voter registration submitted on or after the |
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| 55 | 55 | | effective date of this Act. An application for voter registration |
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| 56 | 56 | | submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the |
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| 57 | 57 | | law in effect when the application was submitted, and the former law |
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| 58 | 58 | | is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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