Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2281 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R6426 JDK-D
2	2	By: Jones of Harris H.B. No. 2281
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to automatic voter registration on interaction with a
10	10	voter registration agency.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
13	13	amended by adding Sections 13.009 and 13.010 to read as follows:
14	14	Sec. 13.009. VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF
15	15	PUBLIC SAFETY. (a) The voter registrar of each county shall
16	16	automatically register any county resident who is eligible to vote
17	17	as provided by Section 13.001 and:
18	18	(1) is issued a Texas driver's license or a personal
19	19	identification card by the Department of Public Safety; or
20	20	(2) makes a change to a Texas driver's license or
21	21	personal identification card issued by the Department of Public
22	22	Safety.
23	23	(b) A driver's license or personal identification card
24	24	transaction with an indication provided by Section 20.062(b) or
25	25	20.063(c) that the transaction is not for voter registration
26	26	purposes is not subject to this section.
27	27	Sec. 13.010. VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH VOTER REGISTRATION
28	28	AGENCIES. (a) The voter registrar of each county shall
29	29	automatically register any county resident who is eligible to vote
30	30	as provided by Section 13.001 and applies for services from a voter
31	31	registration agency under Subchapter B, Chapter 20.
32	32	(b) An application for services is not subject to this
33	33	section if the application is accompanied by:
34	34	(1) an indication under Section 20.002(b) that the
35	35	transaction is not for voter registration; or
36	36	(2) a declination form under Section 20.036.
37	37	(c) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures for
38	38	the implementation of this section.
39	39	SECTION 2. Section 20.002, Election Code, is amended to
40	40	read as follows:
41	41	Sec. 20.002. AGENCY-PRESCRIBED REGISTRATION APPLICATION
42	42	FORM. (a) A voter registration agency under this subchapter shall
43	43	prescribe and use a form and procedure that combines a form for
44	44	services from that agency with an officially prescribed voter
45	45	registration application form.
46	46	(b) A voter registration agency under this subchapter shall
47	47	prescribe and use a form and procedure that requests a person's
48	48	address and that combines agency and voter registration functions.
49	49	The form must allow a person to indicate that a change of address is
50	50	not for voter registration purposes.
51	51	(c) The design, content, and physical characteristics of
52	52	the agency forms must be [Instead of using the official voter
53	53	registration application form prescribed by the secretary of state,
54	54	a voter registration agency may use an official form prescribed by
55	55	the agency, if] approved by the secretary of state.
56	56	SECTION 3. Section 20.032(a), Election Code, is amended to
57	57	read as follows:
58	58	(a) An appropriate agency employee shall [routinely] inform
59	59	each person who applies in person for agency services of the
60	60	opportunity to complete a voter registration application form and
61	61	[on request] shall provide nonpartisan voter registration
62	62	assistance to the applicant.
63	63	SECTION 4. Section 20.061, Election Code, is amended to
64	64	read as follows:
65	65	Sec. 20.061. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS. The other
66	66	provisions of this chapter apply to the Department of Public Safety
67	67	except provisions that conflict with this subchapter or Section
68	68	13.009.
69	69	SECTION 5. Section 20.062(b), Election Code, is amended to
70	70	read as follows:
71	71	(b) The department shall prescribe and use a change of
72	72	address form and procedure that combines department and voter
73	73	registration functions. The form must allow a licensee or
74	74	cardholder to indicate that [whether] the change of address is not
75	75	[also to be used] for voter registration purposes.
76	76	SECTION 6. Section 20.063, Election Code, is amended to
77	77	read as follows:
78	78	Sec. 20.063. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. (a) The Department
79	79	of Public Safety shall consider an application made in person, by
80	80	mail, or online at the department's Internet website [provide to
81	81	each person who applies in person at the department's offices] for
82	82	an original or renewal of a driver's license, a personal
83	83	identification card, or a duplicate or corrected license or card by
84	84	a person who is eligible to vote as provided by Section 13.001 an
85	85	application for [opportunity to complete a] voter registration.
86	86	The date of application is considered to be the date of submission
87	87	to the voter registrar for the purpose of determining the effective
88	88	date of registration [application form].
89	89	(b) The Department of Public Safety shall consider a change
90	90	of address that relates to [When the department processes] a
91	91	license or card and that is submitted to [for renewal by mail,] the
92	92	department [shall deliver to the applicant by mail a voter
93	93	registration application form.
94	94	[(c) A change of address that relates to a license or card
95	95	and that is submitted to the department] in person, [or] by mail, or
96	96	online at the department's Internet website [serves] as a change in
97	97	[of address for] voter registration [unless the licensee or
98	98	cardholder indicates that the change is not for voter registration
99	99	purposes]. The date of submission of a change of address to a
100	100	department employee is considered to be the date of submission to
101	101	the voter registrar for the purpose of determining the effective
102	102	date of registration [only].
103	103	(c) The registration of an eligible [(d) If a completed]
104	104	voter as required by Subsections (a) and (b) is automatic unless the
105	105	person indicates that the transaction is not for voter
106	106	registration purposes [application submitted to a department
107	107	employee does not include the applicant's correct driver's license
108	108	number or personal identification card number, a department
109	109	employee shall enter the appropriate information on the
110	110	application. If a completed application does not include the
111	111	applicant's correct residence address or mailing address, a
112	112	department employee shall obtain the appropriate information from
113	113	the applicant and enter the information on the application].
114	114	SECTION 7. Section 20.065(b), Election Code, is amended to
115	115	read as follows:
116	116	(b) Each weekday the department is regularly open for
117	117	business, the department shall electronically transfer to the
118	118	secretary of state the name and information designated by the
119	119	secretary of state for [of each person who completes a] voter
120	120	registration for each individual who is eligible to vote as
121	121	provided by Section 13.001 and applies in person, by mail, or online
122	122	at the department's Internet website for an original or renewal of a
123	123	driver's license, a personal identification card, or a duplicate or
124	124	corrected license or card [application submitted to the
125	125	department]. The secretary shall prescribe procedures necessary to
126	126	implement this subsection.
127	127	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.