By: Toth H.B. No. 999
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the public inspection of election records.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 1.012, Election Code, is amended by
amending Subsections (a), (d), and (e) and adding Subsections (f)
and (g) to read as follows:
(a) An [Subject to Subsection (b), an] election record that
is public information shall be made available to the public during
the regular business hours of the record's custodian not later than
10 days after the date the custodian receives a request for public
inspection.
(d) In this code, "election record" includes:
(1) anything created, distributed, or received by
government under this code;
(2) anything required by law to be kept by others for
information of government under this code; or
(3) a certificate, application, notice, report, or
other document or paper issued, created, or received by government
under this code.
(e) Except as provided by Subsection (f), an [An] election
record shall be available not later than the 15th day after election
day in an electronic format for a fee of not more than $50.
(f) Not later than the 60th day after election day, the
general custodian of election records shall make available for
public inspection election records that are:
(1) original voted ballots; or
(2) images of voted ballots, if a county maintains
images of voted ballots.
(g) The custodian shall adopt procedures to ensure the
redaction of any personally identifiable information of the voter
contained on a ballot before making the voted ballot available for
public inspection.
SECTION 2. Section 1.012(b), Election Code, is repealed.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.