Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB144 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R2909 LRM-D
2	2	By: Menéndez, et al. S.B. No. 144
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to requiring a voter to present proof of identification.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 13.002(i), Election Code, is amended to
12	12	read as follows:
13	13	(i) An applicant who wishes to receive an exemption from the
14	14	requirements of Section 63.001(b) on the basis of disability must
15	15	submit:
16	16	(1) written documentation:
17	17	(A) from the United States Social Security
18	18	Administration evidencing the applicant has been determined to have
19	19	a disability; or
20	20	(B) from the United States Department of Veterans
21	21	Affairs evidencing the applicant has a disability rating of at
22	22	least 50 percent; and
23	23	(2) a statement in a form prescribed by the secretary
24	24	of state that the applicant does not have [a form of] identification
25	25	required by Section 63.001(b) in a form described by [acceptable
26	26	under] Section 63.0101.
27	27	SECTION 2. Sections 63.001(b) and (i), Election Code, are
28	28	amended to read as follows:
29	29	(b) Except as provided by Subsection (h), on offering to
30	30	vote, a voter must present to an election officer at the polling
31	31	place:
32	32	(1) one form of photo identification listed in Section
33	33	63.0101(a); [or]
34	34	(2) one form of identification listed in Section
35	35	63.0101(b)(1), (2), or (3) accompanied by the declaration described
36	36	by Subsection (i);
37	37	(3) two forms of identification listed under Section
38	38	63.0101(b), including one form that contains the voter's current
39	39	address; or
40	40	(4) two forms of identification listed under Section
41	41	63.0101(b)(4) accompanied by the declaration described by
42	42	Subsection (i).
43	43	(i) If the requirement for identification prescribed by
44	44	Subsection (b)(1) or (3) is not met, an election officer shall
45	45	notify the voter that the voter may be accepted for voting if the
46	46	voter meets the requirement for identification prescribed by
47	47	Subsection (b)(2) or (4) and executes a declaration declaring the
48	48	voter has a reasonable impediment to meeting the requirement for
49	49	identification prescribed by Subsection (b)(1) or (3). A person is
50	50	subject to prosecution for perjury under Chapter 37, Penal Code, or
51	51	under Section 63.0013 for a false statement or false information on
52	52	the declaration. The secretary of state shall prescribe the form of
53	53	the declaration. The form shall include:
54	54	(1) a notice that a person is subject to prosecution
55	55	for perjury under Chapter 37, Penal Code, or under Section 63.0013
56	56	for a false statement or false information on the declaration;
57	57	(2) a statement that the voter swears or affirms that
58	58	the information contained in the declaration is true, that the
59	59	person described in the declaration is the same person appearing at
60	60	the polling place to sign the declaration, and that the voter faces
61	61	a reasonable impediment to procuring the identification prescribed
62	62	by Subsection (b)(1) or (3);
63	63	(3) a place for the voter to indicate one of the
64	64	following impediments:
65	65	(A) lack of transportation;
66	66	(B) lack of birth certificate or other documents
67	67	needed to obtain the identification prescribed by Subsection
68	68	(b)(1);
69	69	(C) work schedule;
70	70	(D) lost or stolen identification;
71	71	(E) disability or illness;
72	72	(F) family responsibilities; and
73	73	(G) the identification prescribed by Subsection
74	74	(b)(1) or (3) has been applied for but not received;
75	75	(4) a place for the voter to sign and date the
76	76	declaration;
77	77	(5) a place for the election judge to sign and date the
78	78	declaration;
79	79	(6) a place to note the polling place at which the
80	80	declaration is signed; and
81	81	(7) a place for the election judge to note which form
82	82	of identification prescribed by Subsection (b)(2) or (4) the voter
83	83	presented.
84	84	SECTION 3. Sections 63.0101(a) and (b), Election Code, are
85	85	amended to read as follows:
86	86	(a) The following documentation is an acceptable form of
87	87	photo identification under this chapter:
88	88	(1) a driver's license, election identification
89	89	certificate, or personal identification card issued to the voter
90	90	[person] by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or
91	91	that expired no earlier than four years before the date of
92	92	presentation;
93	93	(2) a United States military identification card that
94	94	contains the voter's [person's] photograph that has not expired or
95	95	that expired no earlier than four years before the date of
96	96	presentation;
97	97	(3) a United States citizenship certificate issued to
98	98	the voter [person] that contains the voter's [person's] photograph;
99	99	(4) a United States passport book or card issued to the
100	100	voter [person] that has not expired or that expired no earlier than
101	101	four years before the date of presentation; [or]
102	102	(5) a license to carry a handgun issued to the voter
103	103	[person] by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or
104	104	that expired no earlier than four years before the date of
105	105	presentation;
106	106	(6) an official Native American tribal document that:
107	107	(A) contains the voter's photograph and address;
108	108	and
109	109	(B) is issued by a tribe that is federally
110	110	recognized and located in this state; or
111	111	(7) any other official government document issued to
112	112	the voter and containing the voter's name, address, and photograph.
113	113	(b) The following documentation is acceptable as proof of
114	114	identification under this chapter:
115	115	(1) a government document that shows the name and
116	116	address of the voter, including the voter's voter registration
117	117	certificate;
118	118	(2) one of the following documents that shows the name
119	119	and address of the voter:
120	120	(A) a copy of a current utility bill;
121	121	(B) a bank or credit union statement;
122	122	(C) a government check; or
123	123	(D) a paycheck or pension plan statement; [or]
124	124	(3) a certified copy of a domestic birth certificate
125	125	or other document confirming birth that is admissible in a court of
126	126	law and establishes the voter's [person's] identity; or
127	127	(4) two of the following documents issued or delivered
128	128	to the voter, one of which must contain the name and address of the
129	129	voter:
130	130	(A) a Medicare, Medicaid, or Department of
131	131	Veterans Affairs identification card or other health insurance
132	132	identification card;
133	133	(B) a Department of Defense identification card;
134	134	(C) a social security identification card;
135	135	(D) a label on a prescription drug container;
136	136	(E) an identity bracelet issued by a hospital or
137	137	long-term care facility;
138	138	(F) a credit or debit card;
139	139	(G) an identification card issued by an employer;
140	140	(H) a student identification card issued by a
141	141	public or private high school or institution of higher education;
142	142	(I) a library card;
143	143	(J) a Texas Department of Criminal Justice
144	144	document indicating release or parole;
145	145	(K) a fishing or hunting license;
146	146	(L) a lease or mortgage for real property;
147	147	(M) a motor vehicle title;
148	148	(N) an insurance certificate, policy
149	149	declaration, or other document demonstrating proof of insurance;
150	150	(O) a letter from a public or private school or
151	151	institution of higher education;
152	152	(P) a personal check;
153	153	(Q) an official Native American tribal document
154	154	that is issued by a tribe that is federally recognized and located
155	155	in this state;
156	156	(R) a blood donor card;
157	157	(S) a public transportation card;
158	158	(T) a property tax assessment;
159	159	(U) a form prescribed by the Internal Revenue
160	160	Service;
161	161	(V) a letter from a public conservator,
162	162	court-appointed guardian, or trustee;
163	163	(W) a letter of confirmation of residence, letter
164	164	of stay, admission form, or statement of benefits from:
165	165	(i) a student residence;
166	166	(ii) a nursing home or other long-term care
167	167	facility or a retirement center;
168	168	(iii) a shelter; or
169	169	(iv) a soup kitchen;
170	170	(X) a document listed in Subdivision (1), (2), or
171	171	(3); or
172	172	(Y) another government document containing the
173	173	voter's name.
174	174	SECTION 4. Section 63.011(b), Election Code, is amended to
175	175	read as follows:
176	176	(b) A form for an affidavit required by this section must be
177	177	printed on an envelope in which the provisional ballot voted by the
178	178	person may be placed and must include:
179	179	(1) a space for entering the identification number of
180	180	the provisional ballot voted by the person; and
181	181	(2) a space for an election officer to indicate
182	182	whether the person presented [a form of] identification required by
183	183	Section 63.001(b) in a form described by Section 63.0101.
184	184	SECTION 5. Section 65.0541(a), Election Code, is amended to
185	185	read as follows:
186	186	(a) A voter who is accepted for provisional voting under
187	187	Section 63.011 because the voter does not meet the identification
188	188	requirements of Section 63.001(b) may, not later than the sixth day
189	189	after the date of the election:
190	190	(1) present [a form of] identification required by
191	191	Section 63.001(b) in a form described by Section 63.0101 to the
192	192	voter registrar for examination; or
193	193	(2) execute an affidavit described by Section
194	194	65.054(b)(2)(B) or (C) in the presence of the voter registrar.
195	195	SECTION 6. Section 86.006(a-1), Election Code, is amended
196	196	to read as follows:
197	197	(a-1) The voter may deliver a marked ballot in person to the
198	198	early voting clerk's office only while the polls are open on
199	199	election day. A voter who delivers a marked ballot in person must
200	200	present identification required by Section 63.001(b) in a [an
201	201	acceptable] form [of identification] described by Section 63.0101.
202	202	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.