BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2259 By: DeAyala Elections Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that some voters, specifically those with visual impairments, have reported difficulty in reading the instructions provided with early voting mail-in ballot applications. The bill author has also informed the committee that these instructions can often be printed in a small font size on a half-sheet of paper, making them difficult to read and potentially leading to errors in the application. Ensuring clear and legible instructions are provided with early voting mail-in ballot applications can play a crucial part in maintaining accessibility of and increasing participation in the electoral process. H.B. 2259 seeks to reduce confusion, prevent application errors, and ensure that all eligible voters can effectively participate in elections by improving the readability of early voting mail-in ballot application instructions. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 2259 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to prescribe instructions to be printed for the officially prescribed early voting ballot application form and to require the instructions to meet the following requirements: be presented in portrait orientation on a single piece of paper that is 8 and one-half by 11 inches; be printed in Calibri or Aptos font in at least 12-point font or the largest font size that allows the instructions to fit on a single piece of paper, as determined by the secretary of state; and contain bold print, as determined necessary by the secretary of state, to adequately relate the instructions to an item on the application. The bill requires the secretary of state to prescribe instructions to be printed along with the officially prescribed early voting ballot application form in each language appropriate to the demographic composition of Texas in the form and manner prescribed by the bill's provisions. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 2259
By: DeAyala
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 2259
By: DeAyala
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that some voters, specifically those with visual impairments, have reported difficulty in reading the instructions provided with early voting mail-in ballot applications. The bill author has also informed the committee that these instructions can often be printed in a small font size on a half-sheet of paper, making them difficult to read and potentially leading to errors in the application. Ensuring clear and legible instructions are provided with early voting mail-in ballot applications can play a crucial part in maintaining accessibility of and increasing participation in the electoral process. H.B. 2259 seeks to reduce confusion, prevent application errors, and ensure that all eligible voters can effectively participate in elections by improving the readability of early voting mail-in ballot application instructions.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 2259 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to prescribe instructions to be printed for the officially prescribed early voting ballot application form and to require the instructions to meet the following requirements: be presented in portrait orientation on a single piece of paper that is 8 and one-half by 11 inches; be printed in Calibri or Aptos font in at least 12-point font or the largest font size that allows the instructions to fit on a single piece of paper, as determined by the secretary of state; and contain bold print, as determined necessary by the secretary of state, to adequately relate the instructions to an item on the application. The bill requires the secretary of state to prescribe instructions to be printed along with the officially prescribed early voting ballot application form in each language appropriate to the demographic composition of Texas in the form and manner prescribed by the bill's provisions.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that some voters, specifically those with visual impairments, have reported difficulty in reading the instructions provided with early voting mail-in ballot applications. The bill author has also informed the committee that these instructions can often be printed in a small font size on a half-sheet of paper, making them difficult to read and potentially leading to errors in the application. Ensuring clear and legible instructions are provided with early voting mail-in ballot applications can play a crucial part in maintaining accessibility of and increasing participation in the electoral process. H.B. 2259 seeks to reduce confusion, prevent application errors, and ensure that all eligible voters can effectively participate in elections by improving the readability of early voting mail-in ballot application instructions.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 2259 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to prescribe instructions to be printed for the officially prescribed early voting ballot application form and to require the instructions to meet the following requirements:
be presented in portrait orientation on a single piece of paper that is 8 and one-half by 11 inches;
be printed in Calibri or Aptos font in at least 12-point font or the largest font size that allows the instructions to fit on a single piece of paper, as determined by the secretary of state; and
contain bold print, as determined necessary by the secretary of state, to adequately relate the instructions to an item on the application.
The bill requires the secretary of state to prescribe instructions to be printed along with the officially prescribed early voting ballot application form in each language appropriate to the demographic composition of Texas in the form and manner prescribed by the bill's provisions.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.