| 1 | 1 | | By: Toth H.B. No. 999 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to the public inspection of election records. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 1.012, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsections (a), (d), and (e) and adding Subsections (f) |
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| 12 | 12 | | and (g) to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) An [Subject to Subsection (b), an] election record that |
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| 14 | 14 | | is public information shall be made available to the public during |
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| 15 | 15 | | the regular business hours of the record's custodian not later than |
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| 16 | 16 | | 10 days after the date the custodian receives a request for public |
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| 17 | 17 | | inspection. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (d) In this code, "election record" includes: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) anything created, distributed, or received by |
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| 20 | 20 | | government under this code; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) anything required by law to be kept by others for |
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| 22 | 22 | | information of government under this code; or |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) a certificate, application, notice, report, or |
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| 24 | 24 | | other document or paper issued, created, or received by government |
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| 25 | 25 | | under this code. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (e) Except as provided by Subsection (f), an [An] election |
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| 27 | 27 | | record shall be available not later than the 15th day after election |
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| 28 | 28 | | day in an electronic format for a fee of not more than $50. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (f) Not later than the 60th day after election day, the |
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| 30 | 30 | | general custodian of election records shall make available for |
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| 31 | 31 | | public inspection election records that are: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) original voted ballots; or |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) images of voted ballots, if a county maintains |
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| 34 | 34 | | images of voted ballots. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (g) The custodian shall adopt procedures to ensure the |
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| 36 | 36 | | redaction of any personally identifiable information of the voter |
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| 37 | 37 | | contained on a ballot before making the voted ballot available for |
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| 38 | 38 | | public inspection. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 2. Section 1.012(b), Election Code, is repealed. |
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| 40 | 40 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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