| 1 | 1 | | 89R8239 JDK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 1542 |
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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 maintaining the accuracy of information contained |
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| 10 | 10 | | within the statewide voter registration system; creating a criminal |
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| 11 | 11 | | offense. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 18.062(i), Election Code, is amended to |
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| 14 | 14 | | read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (i) In addition to using a system described by Subsection |
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| 16 | 16 | | (a), the secretary of state shall, [use data from the National |
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| 17 | 17 | | Change of Address database to identify voters whose addresses have |
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| 18 | 18 | | changed] for the purpose of preventing duplication of registration |
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| 19 | 19 | | in more than one state or jurisdiction and to identify voters whose |
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| 20 | 20 | | addresses have changed: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) use data from the National Change of Address |
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| 22 | 22 | | database; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) enter into an agreement with the Department of |
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| 24 | 24 | | Public Safety to receive notice of a change of address submitted |
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| 25 | 25 | | under Section 521.054, Transportation Code. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Section 18.065, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 27 | 27 | | adding Subsections (e-1) and (g-1) to read as follows. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (e-1) On a third violation under Subsection (e), the |
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| 29 | 29 | | secretary of state shall, as necessary, assume the voter |
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| 30 | 30 | | registrar's duties relating to the maintenance of the statewide |
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| 31 | 31 | | voter registration list, including the registrar's duties related |
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| 32 | 32 | | to the maintenance of accurate registration records under: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (1) Subchapters B, C, and D, Chapter 15; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) Chapter 16. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (g-1) It is an offense for a voter registrar to commit a |
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| 36 | 36 | | violation of a requirement imposed on the registrar by a provision |
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| 37 | 37 | | or rule described in Subsection (a) three or more times. An offense |
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| 38 | 38 | | under this subsection is a Class A misdemeanor. |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 40 | 40 | | to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 41 | 41 | | An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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| 42 | 42 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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| 43 | 43 | | and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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| 44 | 44 | | purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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| 45 | 45 | | effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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| 46 | 46 | | before that date. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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