Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5351 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R12676 AB-D
2	2	By: Villalobos H.B. No. 5351
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the election for which an application for a ballot to be
10	10	voted by mail is requested.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 84.004(a), Election Code, is amended to
13	13	read as follows:
14	14	(a) A person commits an offense if[:
15	15	[(1)] the person signs an application for a ballot to
16	16	be voted by mail as a witness for more than one applicant in the same
17	17	election[; or
18	18	[(2) the person signs an application for annual
19	19	ballots by mail as a witness for more than one applicant in the same
20	20	calendar year].
21	21	SECTION 2. Section 84.007(c), Election Code, is amended to
22	22	read as follows:
23	23	(c) An [Except as provided by Section 86.0015(b), an]
24	24	application may be submitted at any time in the year of the election
25	25	for which a ballot is requested, but not later than the close of
26	26	regular business in the early voting clerk's office or 12 noon,
27	27	whichever is later, on the 11th day before election day unless that
28	28	day is a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state or national holiday, in
29	29	which case the last day is the first preceding regular business day.
30	30	SECTION 3. Section 84.011(a), Election Code, is amended to
31	31	read as follows:
32	32	(a) The officially prescribed application form for an early
33	33	voting ballot must include:
34	34	(1) immediately preceding the signature space the
35	35	statement: "I certify that the information given in this
36	36	application is true, and I understand that giving false information
37	37	in this application is a crime.";
38	38	(2) a statement informing the applicant of the
39	39	offenses prescribed by Sections 84.003 and 84.004;
40	40	(3) spaces for entering an applicant's voter
41	41	registration number and county election precinct of registration,
42	42	with a statement informing the applicant that failure to furnish
43	43	that information does not invalidate the application;
44	44	(3-a) a space for entering the information required
45	45	under Section 84.002(a)(1-a); and
46	46	(4) on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail:
47	47	(A) a space for an applicant applying on the
48	48	ground of absence from the county of residence to indicate the date
49	49	on or after which the applicant can receive mail at the address
50	50	outside the county;
51	51	(B) a space for indicating the fact that an
52	52	applicant whose application is signed by a witness cannot make the
53	53	applicant's mark and a space for indicating the relationship or
54	54	lack of relationship of the witness to the applicant;
55	55	(C) a space for entering an applicant's telephone
56	56	number, with:
57	57	(i) a statement informing the applicant
58	58	that failure to furnish that information does not invalidate the
59	59	application; and
60	60	(ii) a statement prescribed by the
61	61	secretary of state explaining the benefits of furnishing that
62	62	information, including how that information assists the early
63	63	voting clerk;
64	64	(D) a space or box for an applicant applying on
65	65	the ground of age or disability to indicate that the address to
66	66	which the ballot is to be mailed is the address of a facility or
67	67	relative described by Section 84.002(a)(3), if applicable;
68	68	(E) a space or box for an applicant applying on
69	69	the ground of confinement in jail or involuntary civil commitment
70	70	to indicate that the address to which the ballot is to be mailed is
71	71	the address of a relative described by Section 84.002(a)(4) or (7),
72	72	if applicable;
73	73	(F) [a space for an applicant applying on the
74	74	ground of age or disability to indicate if the application is an
75	75	application under Section 86.0015;
76	76	[(G)] spaces for entering the signature, printed
77	77	name, and residence address of any person assisting the applicant;
78	78	(G) [(H)] a statement informing the applicant of
79	79	the condition prescribed by Section 81.005; and
80	80	(H) [(I)] a statement informing the applicant of
81	81	the requirement prescribed by Section 86.003(c).
82	82	SECTION 4. Section 84.038, Election Code, is amended to
83	83	read as follows:
84	84	Sec. 84.038. CANCELLATION EFFECTIVE FOR SINGLE ELECTION.
85	85	The cancellation of an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
86	86	under Section 84.032(c), (d), or (e) is effective for a single
87	87	ballot only and does not cancel the application with respect to a
88	88	subsequent runoff election[, including a subsequent election to
89	89	which the same application applies under Section 84.001(e) or
90	90	86.0015(b)].
91	91	SECTION 5. Section 86.0015, Election Code, is repealed.
92	92	SECTION 6. The change in law made by this Act in amending
93	93	Section 84.004(a), Election Code, applies only to an offense
94	94	committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense
95	95	committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
96	96	law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former
97	97	law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this
98	98	section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this
99	99	Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.
100	100	SECTION 7. This Act applies only to an application for a
101	101	ballot voted by mail submitted on or after January 1, 2026.
102	102	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.