Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3247 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R8247 LRM-D
2	2	By: Bryant H.B. No. 3247
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to electronic voter registration.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The
14	14	secretary of state shall work with the Department of Public Safety
15	15	and the Department of Information Resources to implement a program
16	16	to allow a person to complete a voter registration application over
17	17	the Internet from the official website of this state. The Internet
18	18	websites of the secretary of state and the Department of Public
19	19	Safety must also provide a link to the location of the application
20	20	on the official website of this state.
21	21	(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has
22	22	an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card
23	23	issued in this state must:
24	24	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
25	25	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
26	26	and
27	27	(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature
28	28	on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card
29	29	for voter registration purposes.
30	30	(c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does
31	31	not have an unexpired driver's license or personal identification
32	32	card issued in this state must:
33	33	(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on
34	34	the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;
35	35	and
36	36	(2) digitally sign the applicant's application before
37	37	submitting it electronically.
38	38	(d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b),
39	39	the program shall require that a digital copy of the applicant's
40	40	signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety.
41	41	(e) A digital signature given as provided by secretary of
42	42	state rule meets the signature requirement under Section 13.002(b).
43	43	An application submitted under this section is considered for all
44	44	purposes an application submitted by mail under this title.
45	45	(f) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
46	46	implement this section, including rules to provide for additional
47	47	security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of
48	48	applications submitted electronically.
49	49	(g) The rules adopted under Subsection (f) must require
50	50	that:
51	51	(1) the Internet website through which a person may
52	52	complete a voter registration application include a description of
53	53	the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location
54	54	on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the
55	55	application; and
56	56	(2) the state electronic Internet portal project be
57	57	used to authenticate the identity and address of a person who
58	58	submits an application electronically under this section.
59	59	SECTION 2. Section 13.042(c), Election Code, is amended to
60	60	read as follows:
61	61	(c) An application submitted after the 27th [34th] day
62	62	before the date of an election and on or before the last day for a
63	63	person to timely submit a registration application for that
64	64	election as provided by Section 13.143 shall be delivered not later
65	65	than 5 p.m. of the next regular business day after the date to
66	66	timely submit a registration application for that election as
67	67	provided by Section 13.143.
68	68	SECTION 3. Sections 13.143(a) and (e), Election Code, are
69	69	amended to read as follows:
70	70	(a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (e), if an
71	71	applicant's registration application is approved, the registration
72	72	becomes effective on the 23rd [30th] day after the date the
73	73	application is submitted to the registrar or on the date the
74	74	applicant becomes 18 years of age, whichever is later.
75	75	(e) If the 23rd [30th] day before the date of an election is
76	76	a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state or national holiday, an
77	77	application is considered to be timely if it is submitted to the
78	78	registrar on or before the next regular business day.
79	79	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.