BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 2785 By: Garcia, Linda Elections Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under state law, a person must print, sign, and mail or deliver a voter registration application to their county voter registrar to become officially registered to vote. The bill author has informed the committee that many eligible voters mistakenly believe that completing the voter registration application request form on the secretary of state's website is sufficient to complete their registration, which leads to incomplete registrations and confusion. H.B. 2785 seeks to reduce incomplete voter registrations by providing for prospective applicants completing a voter registration application on the secretary of state's website to acknowledge that completing a voter registration application online does not constitute voter registration. 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. 2785 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state's website, if the secretary of state adopts a procedure for the completion of a voter registration application on the website, to display a message on completion of the voter registration application requiring the applicant to electronically acknowledge the following: completion of the voter registration application does not constitute registration to vote; and a completed voter registration application must be submitted to the applicable voter registrar. The bill requires the message to appear in a format that prevents further interaction with the web page until the applicant executes the acknowledgement. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 2785
By: Garcia, Linda
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 2785
By: Garcia, Linda
Elections
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under state law, a person must print, sign, and mail or deliver a voter registration application to their county voter registrar to become officially registered to vote. The bill author has informed the committee that many eligible voters mistakenly believe that completing the voter registration application request form on the secretary of state's website is sufficient to complete their registration, which leads to incomplete registrations and confusion. H.B. 2785 seeks to reduce incomplete voter registrations by providing for prospective applicants completing a voter registration application on the secretary of state's website to acknowledge that completing a voter registration application online does not constitute voter registration.
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. 2785 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state's website, if the secretary of state adopts a procedure for the completion of a voter registration application on the website, to display a message on completion of the voter registration application requiring the applicant to electronically acknowledge the following: completion of the voter registration application does not constitute registration to vote; and a completed voter registration application must be submitted to the applicable voter registrar. The bill requires the message to appear in a format that prevents further interaction with the web page until the applicant executes the acknowledgement.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Under state law, a person must print, sign, and mail or deliver a voter registration application to their county voter registrar to become officially registered to vote. The bill author has informed the committee that many eligible voters mistakenly believe that completing the voter registration application request form on the secretary of state's website is sufficient to complete their registration, which leads to incomplete registrations and confusion. H.B. 2785 seeks to reduce incomplete voter registrations by providing for prospective applicants completing a voter registration application on the secretary of state's website to acknowledge that completing a voter registration application online does not constitute voter registration.
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. 2785 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state's website, if the secretary of state adopts a procedure for the completion of a voter registration application on the website, to display a message on completion of the voter registration application requiring the applicant to electronically acknowledge the following:
completion of the voter registration application does not constitute registration to vote; and
a completed voter registration application must be submitted to the applicable voter registrar.
The bill requires the message to appear in a format that prevents further interaction with the web page until the applicant executes the acknowledgement.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.