| 1 | 1 | | 89R5652 JDK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Garcia of Bexar H.B. No. 3359 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to identifying an individual with veteran's status and |
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| 10 | 10 | | providing notice to the Texas Veterans Commission. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Sections 13.004(c) and (d), Election Code, are |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (c) The following information furnished on a registration |
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| 15 | 15 | | application is confidential and does not constitute public |
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| 16 | 16 | | information for purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) a social security number; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) a Texas driver's license number; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) a number of a personal identification card issued |
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| 20 | 20 | | by the Department of Public Safety; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) the residence address of the applicant, if the |
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| 22 | 22 | | applicant is a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge, |
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| 23 | 23 | | a marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States |
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| 24 | 24 | | attorney, or a state judge, a family member of a federal judge, |
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| 25 | 25 | | including a federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United |
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| 26 | 26 | | States Marshals Service, a United States attorney, or a state |
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| 27 | 27 | | judge, the spouse of a peace officer as defined by Article 2A.001, |
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| 28 | 28 | | Code of Criminal Procedure, or an individual to whom Section |
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| 29 | 29 | | 552.1175, Government Code, or Section 521.1211, Transportation |
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| 30 | 30 | | Code, applies and the applicant: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (A) included an affidavit with the registration |
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| 32 | 32 | | application describing the applicant's status under this |
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| 33 | 33 | | subdivision, if the applicant is a federal judge, including a |
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| 34 | 34 | | federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United States Marshals |
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| 35 | 35 | | Service, a United States attorney, or a state judge or a family |
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| 36 | 36 | | member of a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge, a |
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| 37 | 37 | | marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States |
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| 38 | 38 | | attorney, or a state judge; |
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| 39 | 39 | | (B) provided the registrar with an affidavit |
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| 40 | 40 | | describing the applicant's status under this subdivision, if the |
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| 41 | 41 | | applicant is a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge, |
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| 42 | 42 | | a marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States |
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| 43 | 43 | | attorney, or a state judge or a family member of a federal judge, |
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| 44 | 44 | | including a federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United |
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| 45 | 45 | | States Marshals Service, a United States attorney, or a state |
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| 46 | 46 | | judge; or |
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| 47 | 47 | | (C) provided the registrar with a completed form |
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| 48 | 48 | | approved by the secretary of state for the purpose of notifying the |
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| 49 | 49 | | registrar of the applicant's status under this subdivision; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (5) the residence address of the applicant, if the |
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| 51 | 51 | | applicant, the applicant's child, or another person in the |
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| 52 | 52 | | applicant's household is a victim of family violence as defined by |
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| 53 | 53 | | Section 71.004, Family Code, who provided the registrar with: |
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| 54 | 54 | | (A) a copy of a protective order issued under |
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| 55 | 55 | | Chapter 85, Family Code, or a magistrate's order for emergency |
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| 56 | 56 | | protection issued under Article 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure; |
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| 57 | 57 | | or |
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| 58 | 58 | | (B) other independent documentary evidence |
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| 59 | 59 | | necessary to show that the applicant, the applicant's child, or |
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| 60 | 60 | | another person in the applicant's household is a victim of family |
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| 61 | 61 | | violence; |
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| 62 | 62 | | (6) the residence address of the applicant, if the |
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| 63 | 63 | | applicant, the applicant's child, or another person in the |
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| 64 | 64 | | applicant's household is a victim of sexual assault or abuse, |
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| 65 | 65 | | stalking, or trafficking of persons who provided the registrar |
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| 66 | 66 | | with: |
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| 67 | 67 | | (A) a copy of a protective order issued under |
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| 68 | 68 | | Subchapter A or B, Chapter 7B, Code of Criminal Procedure, or a |
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| 69 | 69 | | magistrate's order for emergency protection issued under Article |
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| 70 | 70 | | 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure; or |
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| 71 | 71 | | (B) other independent documentary evidence |
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| 72 | 72 | | necessary to show that the applicant, the applicant's child, or |
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| 73 | 73 | | another person in the applicant's household is a victim of sexual |
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| 74 | 74 | | assault or abuse, stalking, or trafficking of persons; |
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| 75 | 75 | | (7) the residence address of the applicant, if the |
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| 76 | 76 | | applicant: |
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| 77 | 77 | | (A) is a participant in the address |
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| 78 | 78 | | confidentiality program administered by the attorney general under |
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| 79 | 79 | | Subchapter B, Chapter 58, Code of Criminal Procedure; and |
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| 80 | 80 | | (B) provided the registrar with proof of |
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| 81 | 81 | | certification under Article 58.059, Code of Criminal Procedure; |
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| 82 | 82 | | [or] |
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| 83 | 83 | | (8) the telephone number of any applicant submitting |
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| 84 | 84 | | documentation under Subdivision (4), (5), (6), or (7); or |
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| 85 | 85 | | (9) the applicant's status as a veteran. |
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| 86 | 86 | | (d) The voter registrar or other county official who has |
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| 87 | 87 | | access to the information furnished on a registration application |
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| 88 | 88 | | may not post the following information on a website: |
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| 89 | 89 | | (1) a telephone number; |
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| 90 | 90 | | (2) a social security number; |
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| 91 | 91 | | (3) a driver's license number or a number of a personal |
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| 92 | 92 | | identification card; |
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| 93 | 93 | | (4) a date of birth; [or] |
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| 94 | 94 | | (5) the residence address of a voter who submits |
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| 95 | 95 | | documentation under Subsection (c)(4), (5), (6), or (7) to the |
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| 96 | 96 | | voter registrar or regarding whom the registrar has received |
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| 97 | 97 | | notification under Section 15.0215; or |
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| 98 | 98 | | (6) an applicant's status as a veteran. |
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| 99 | 99 | | SECTION 2. Section 13.071, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 100 | 100 | | adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows: |
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| 101 | 101 | | (c) The registrar shall compile a list of each submitted |
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| 102 | 102 | | application for registration that indicates the applicant served in |
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| 103 | 103 | | the United States armed forces, including their reserve components, |
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| 104 | 104 | | an auxiliary service of one of the branches of the armed forces, or |
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| 105 | 105 | | the state military forces as defined by Section 431.001, Government |
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| 106 | 106 | | Code. The list shall include each applicant's: |
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| 107 | 107 | | (1) residence address; and |
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| 108 | 108 | | (2) if provided by the applicant, telephone number. |
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| 109 | 109 | | (d) The secretary of state shall adopt procedures for the |
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| 110 | 110 | | transmission of information collected under Subsection (c) to the |
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| 111 | 111 | | Texas Veterans Commission. |
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| 112 | 112 | | SECTION 3. Section 13.122, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 113 | 113 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to read as |
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| 114 | 114 | | follows: |
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| 115 | 115 | | (a) In addition to the other statements and spaces for |
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| 116 | 116 | | entering information that appear on an officially prescribed |
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| 117 | 117 | | registration application form, each official form must include: |
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| 118 | 118 | | (1) the statement: "I understand that giving false |
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| 119 | 119 | | information to procure a voter registration is perjury and a crime |
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| 120 | 120 | | under state and federal law."; |
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| 121 | 121 | | (2) a space for the applicant's registration number; |
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| 122 | 122 | | (3) a space for the applicant's Texas driver's license |
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| 123 | 123 | | number or number of a personal identification card issued by the |
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| 124 | 124 | | Department of Public Safety; |
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| 125 | 125 | | (4) a space for the applicant's telephone number; |
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| 126 | 126 | | (5) a space for the applicant's social security |
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| 127 | 127 | | number; |
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| 128 | 128 | | (6) a space for the applicant's sex; |
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| 129 | 129 | | (7) a statement indicating that the furnishing of the |
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| 130 | 130 | | applicant's telephone number and sex is optional; |
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| 131 | 131 | | (8) a space or box for indicating whether the |
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| 132 | 132 | | applicant or voter is submitting new registration information or a |
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| 133 | 133 | | change in current registration information; |
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| 134 | 134 | | (9) a statement instructing a voter who is using the |
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| 135 | 135 | | form to make a change in current registration information to enter |
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| 136 | 136 | | the voter's name and the changed information in the appropriate |
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| 137 | 137 | | spaces on the form; |
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| 138 | 138 | | (10) a statement that if the applicant declines to |
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| 139 | 139 | | register to vote, that fact will remain confidential and will be |
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| 140 | 140 | | used only for voter registration purposes; |
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| 141 | 141 | | (11) a statement that if the applicant does register |
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| 142 | 142 | | to vote, information regarding the agency or office to which the |
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| 143 | 143 | | application is submitted will remain confidential and will be used |
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| 144 | 144 | | only for voter registration purposes; |
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| 145 | 145 | | (12) a space or box for indicating whether the |
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| 146 | 146 | | applicant is interested in working as an election judge; |
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| 147 | 147 | | (13) a statement warning that a conviction for making |
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| 148 | 148 | | a false statement may result in imprisonment for up to the maximum |
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| 149 | 149 | | amount of time provided by law, a fine of up to the maximum amount |
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| 150 | 150 | | provided by law, or both the imprisonment and the fine; [and] |
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| 151 | 151 | | (14) a space or box for indicating whether the |
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| 152 | 152 | | applicant served in the United States armed forces, including their |
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| 153 | 153 | | reserve components, an auxiliary service of one of the branches of |
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| 154 | 154 | | the armed forces, or the state military forces as defined by Section |
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| 155 | 155 | | 431.001, Government Code, and a statement acknowledging that: |
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| 156 | 156 | | (A) providing this information is optional; and |
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| 157 | 157 | | (B) this information will remain confidential |
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| 158 | 158 | | and will be used only to print a designation on the voter |
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| 159 | 159 | | registration certificate and to provide notification of the |
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| 160 | 160 | | applicant's veteran status to the Texas Veterans Commission, which |
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| 161 | 161 | | may contact the applicant to connect the applicant with available |
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| 162 | 162 | | services; and |
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| 163 | 163 | | (15) [(14)] any other voter registration information |
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| 164 | 164 | | required by federal law or considered appropriate and required by |
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| 165 | 165 | | the secretary of state. |
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| 166 | 166 | | (d) The information furnished by an applicant under |
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| 167 | 167 | | Subsection (a)(14) may only be used for the purpose described by |
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| 168 | 168 | | Sections 13.071(c) and (d) or Section 15.001(a). |
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| 169 | 169 | | SECTION 4. Section 15.001(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 170 | 170 | | read as follows: |
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| 171 | 171 | | (a) Each voter registration certificate issued must |
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| 172 | 172 | | contain: |
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| 173 | 173 | | (1) the voter's name in the form indicated by the |
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| 174 | 174 | | voter, subject to applicable requirements prescribed by Section |
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| 175 | 175 | | 13.002 and by rule of the secretary of state; |
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| 176 | 176 | | (2) the voter's residence address or, if the residence |
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| 177 | 177 | | has no address, the address at which the voter receives mail and a |
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| 178 | 178 | | concise description of the location of the voter's residence; |
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| 179 | 179 | | (3) the year of the voter's birth; |
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| 180 | 180 | | (4) the number of the county election precinct in |
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| 181 | 181 | | which the voter resides; |
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| 182 | 182 | | (5) the voter's effective date of registration if an |
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| 183 | 183 | | initial certificate; |
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| 184 | 184 | | (6) the voter's registration number; |
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| 185 | 185 | | (7) an indication of the period for which the |
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| 186 | 186 | | certificate is issued; |
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| 187 | 187 | | (8) a statement explaining the circumstances under |
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| 188 | 188 | | which the voter will receive a new certificate; |
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| 189 | 189 | | (9) a space for stamping the voter's political party |
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| 190 | 190 | | affiliation; |
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| 191 | 191 | | (10) a statement that voting with the certificate by a |
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| 192 | 192 | | person other than the person in whose name the certificate is issued |
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| 193 | 193 | | is a felony; |
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| 194 | 194 | | (11) a space for the voter's signature; |
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| 195 | 195 | | (12) a statement that the voter must sign the |
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| 196 | 196 | | certificate personally, if able to sign, immediately on receipt; |
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| 197 | 197 | | (13) a space for the voter to correct the information |
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| 198 | 198 | | on the certificate followed by a signature line; |
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| 199 | 199 | | (14) the statement: "If any information on this |
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| 200 | 200 | | certificate changes or is incorrect, correct the information in the |
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| 201 | 201 | | space provided, sign below, and return this certificate to the |
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| 202 | 202 | | voter registrar."; |
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| 203 | 203 | | (15) the registrar's mailing address and telephone |
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| 204 | 204 | | number; [and] |
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| 205 | 205 | | (16) the jurisdictional or distinguishing number for |
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| 206 | 206 | | the following territorial units in which the voter resides, as |
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| 207 | 207 | | determined by the voter registrar: |
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| 208 | 208 | | (A) congressional district; |
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| 209 | 209 | | (B) state senatorial district; |
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| 210 | 210 | | (C) state representative district; |
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| 211 | 211 | | (D) commissioners precinct; |
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| 212 | 212 | | (E) justice precinct; |
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| 213 | 213 | | (F) city election precinct; and |
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| 214 | 214 | | (G) school district election precinct; and |
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| 215 | 215 | | (17) an indication that the voter is a "veteran," if |
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| 216 | 216 | | the voter stated on the voter's registration application that the |
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| 217 | 217 | | voter served in the United States armed forces, including their |
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| 218 | 218 | | reserve components, an auxiliary service of one of the branches of |
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| 219 | 219 | | the armed forces, or the state military forces as defined by Section |
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| 220 | 220 | | 431.001, Government Code. |
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| 221 | 221 | | SECTION 5. Section 18.066(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 222 | 222 | | read as follows: |
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| 223 | 223 | | (b) Information furnished under this section may not |
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| 224 | 224 | | include: |
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| 225 | 225 | | (1) a voter's social security number; [or] |
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| 226 | 226 | | (2) the residence address of a voter whose residence |
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| 227 | 227 | | address is confidential under Section 13.004; or |
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| 228 | 228 | | (3) the voter's status as a veteran, if the voter |
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| 229 | 229 | | stated on the voter's registration application that the voter |
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| 230 | 230 | | served in the United States armed forces, including their reserve |
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| 231 | 231 | | components, an auxiliary service of one of the branches of the armed |
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| 232 | 232 | | forces, or the state military forces as defined by Section 431.001, |
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| 233 | 233 | | Government Code. |
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| 234 | 234 | | SECTION 6. Section 521.011, Transportation Code, is amended |
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| 235 | 235 | | to read as follows: |
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| 236 | 236 | | Sec. 521.011. SERVICES INFORMATION FOR VETERANS. (a) In |
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| 237 | 237 | | this section, "veteran" means: |
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| 238 | 238 | | (1) a person who receives [The department and the |
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| 239 | 239 | | Texas Veterans Commission shall jointly develop a one-page |
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| 240 | 240 | | informational paper about veterans services provided by this state |
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| 241 | 241 | | for veterans who receive]: |
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| 242 | 242 | | (A) [(1)] a driver's license with a designation |
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| 243 | 243 | | under Section 521.1235; or |
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| 244 | 244 | | (B) [(2)] a personal identification certificate |
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| 245 | 245 | | with a designation under Section 521.102; or |
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| 246 | 246 | | (2) a person who: |
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| 247 | 247 | | (A) served in the United States armed forces, |
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| 248 | 248 | | including their reserve components, an auxiliary service of one of |
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| 249 | 249 | | the branches of the armed forces, or the state military forces as |
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| 250 | 250 | | defined by Section 437.001, Government Code; and |
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| 251 | 251 | | (B) did not request or is not eligible for a |
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| 252 | 252 | | designation described by Subdivision (1). |
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| 253 | 253 | | (b) The department shall provide to each applicant for an |
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| 254 | 254 | | original, renewal, corrected, or duplicate driver's license or |
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| 255 | 255 | | personal identification certificate the opportunity to voluntarily |
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| 256 | 256 | | indicate for the purposes of this section that the person is a |
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| 257 | 257 | | veteran. The department shall acknowledge that: |
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| 258 | 258 | | (1) providing this information is optional; and |
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| 259 | 259 | | (2) this information will remain confidential and will |
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| 260 | 260 | | be used only to: |
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| 261 | 261 | | (A) provide the applicant with a one-page |
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| 262 | 262 | | informational paper about veterans services provided by this state; |
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| 263 | 263 | | and |
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| 264 | 264 | | (B) provide notification of the applicant's |
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| 265 | 265 | | veteran status to the Texas Veterans Commission, which may contact |
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| 266 | 266 | | the applicant to connect the applicant with available services. |
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| 267 | 267 | | (c) The department and the Texas Veterans Commission shall |
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| 268 | 268 | | jointly develop a process to enable the department to share with the |
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| 269 | 269 | | Texas Veterans Commission a person's name, veteran status, and |
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| 270 | 270 | | residence address received under Subsection (b). The Texas |
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| 271 | 271 | | Veterans Commission may contact the person to connect the person |
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| 272 | 272 | | with veterans services provided by this state. Information |
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| 273 | 273 | | received by the department and the Texas Veterans Commission under |
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| 274 | 274 | | this section is confidential and not subject to disclosure under |
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| 275 | 275 | | Chapter 552, Government Code. |
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| 276 | 276 | | (d) The department and the Texas Veterans Commission shall: |
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| 277 | 277 | | (1) jointly develop a one-page informational paper |
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| 278 | 278 | | about veterans services provided by this state; and |
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| 279 | 279 | | (2) provide the informational paper to each person who |
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| 280 | 280 | | voluntarily indicates to the department under Subsection (b) that |
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| 281 | 281 | | the person is a veteran. |
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| 282 | 282 | | SECTION 7. Sections 521.102(c) and 521.1235(c), |
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| 283 | 283 | | Transportation Code, are repealed. |
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| 284 | 284 | | SECTION 8. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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| 285 | 285 | | 13.122(a), Election Code, applies only to a voter registration |
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| 286 | 286 | | application distributed on or after September 1, 2025. A voter |
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| 287 | 287 | | registration application distributed before September 1, 2025, is |
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| 288 | 288 | | covered by the law in effect when the application was distributed, |
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| 289 | 289 | | and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 290 | 290 | | SECTION 9. Section 521.011, Transportation Code, as amended |
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| 291 | 291 | | by this Act, applies only to an application for a driver's license |
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| 292 | 292 | | or personal identification certificate issued or renewed on or |
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| 293 | 293 | | after the effective date of this Act. An application for a driver's |
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| 294 | 294 | | license or personal identification certificate issued or renewed |
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| 295 | 295 | | before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
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| 296 | 296 | | effect when the license or certificate was issued or renewed, and |
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| 297 | 297 | | the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 298 | 298 | | SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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