Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2394 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R11346 LRM-D
2	2	By: Dutton H.B. No. 2394
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to voter registration, including electronic voter
10	10	registration.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 12.006(f), Election Code, is amended to
13	13	read as follows:
14	14	(f) A regular deputy registrar may not assist in the
15	15	registration of voters until the deputy registrar has completed
16	16	training developed under Section 12.007 [13.047]. At the time of
17	17	appointment, the voter registrar shall provide information about
18	18	the times and places at which training is offered.
19	19	SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
20	20	amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:
21	21	Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
22	22	secretary of state shall implement a program to allow a person who
23	23	has a valid state-issued driver's license or personal
24	24	identification card to complete a voter registration application
25	25	over the Internet from an official state website. The secretary of
26	26	state may develop an Internet website for this purpose.
27	27	(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration must:
28	28	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
29	29	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
30	30	(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
31	31	on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
32	32	for voter registration purposes;
33	33	(3) provide the information required under Section
34	34	13.002(c); and
35	35	(4) provide the audit number and date of issuance of
36	36	the applicant's Texas driver's license or personal identification
37	37	card issued by the Department of Public Safety.
38	38	(c) When a person submits an application under this section,
39	39	the secretary of state shall compare the information provided by
40	40	the applicant against Department of Public Safety records. If any
41	41	information submitted by an applicant does not match Department of
42	42	Public Safety records, the secretary shall reject the application.
43	43	(d) When a person submits an application under this section,
44	44	the Internet Protocol address of the device used to submit the
45	45	application shall be recorded and included with the applicant's
46	46	application file under Section 13.101 or 13.102, as appropriate.
47	47	(e) The completed online application and information from
48	48	the Department of Public Safety, including all copies of the
49	49	applicant's digital signature on record, shall be provided to:
50	50	(1) the voter registrar for the county where the
51	51	applicant currently resides; and
52	52	(2) the secretary of state for the statewide
53	53	computerized voter registration list under Section 18.061.
54	54	(f) An application submitted electronically under this
55	55	section is considered for all purposes as an application submitted
56	56	by mail under this title.
57	57	(g) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
58	58	implement this section.
59	59	SECTION 3. Section 13.047, Election Code, is transferred to
60	60	Subchapter A, Chapter 12, Election Code, and redesignated as
61	61	Section 12.007, Election Code, to read as follows:
62	62	Sec. 12.007 [13.047]. TRAINING STANDARDS FOR DEPUTY
63	63	REGISTRARS. (a) The secretary of state shall:
64	64	(1) adopt standards of training in election law
65	65	relating to the registration of voters;
66	66	(2) develop materials for a standardized curriculum
67	67	for that training; and
68	68	(3) distribute the materials as necessary to each
69	69	county voter registrar.
70	70	(b) The training standards may include the passage of an
71	71	examination at the end of a training program.
72	72	SECTION 4. Section 20.037(c), Election Code, is amended to
73	73	read as follows:
74	74	(c) An application form delivered by mail must be
75	75	accompanied by a notice informing the applicant that the
76	76	application may be submitted in person or by mail to the voter
77	77	registrar of the county in which the applicant resides [or in person
78	78	to a volunteer deputy registrar for delivery to the voter registrar
79	79	of the county in which the applicant resides].
80	80	SECTION 5. Section 20.122(c), Election Code, is amended to
81	81	read as follows:
82	82	(c) The application forms must be accompanied by a notice
83	83	informing the licensees that the applications may be submitted in
84	84	person or by mail to the voter registrar of the county in which they
85	85	reside [or in person to a volunteer deputy registrar for delivery to
86	86	the voter registrar of the county in which they reside].
87	87	SECTION 6. Section 31.040(b), Election Code, is amended to
88	88	read as follows:
89	89	(b) The commissioners court or the administrator may
90	90	require any or all of the administrator's deputies[, other than
91	91	unpaid volunteer deputy registrars,] to give a bond similar to that
92	92	required of the administrator in an amount not exceeding the amount
93	93	of the administrator's bond.
94	94	SECTION 7. Section 31.161(b), Election Code, is amended to
95	95	read as follows:
96	96	(b) The joint elections commission or the joint elections
97	97	administrator may require any or all of the administrator's
98	98	deputies[, other than unpaid volunteer deputy registrars,] to give
99	99	a bond similar to that required of the administrator in an amount
100	100	not exceeding the amount of the administrator's bond.
101	101	SECTION 8. The following provisions of the Election Code
102	102	are repealed:
103	103	(1) the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 13; and
104	104	(2) Sections 13.031, 13.032, 13.033, 13.034, 13.035,
105	105	13.036, 13.037, 13.038, 13.039, 13.040, 13.041, 13.042, 13.043,
106	106	13.044, 13.045, 13.046, and 13.048.
107	107	SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.