| 2 | | - | (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 2025; March 25, 2025, read |
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| 3 | | - | first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; |
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| 4 | | - | April 14, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, |
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| 5 | | - | Nays 0; April 14, 2025, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | | - | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 7 | 3 | | |
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| 8 | 4 | | |
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| 9 | 5 | | |
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| 10 | 6 | | |
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| 11 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 12 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 13 | 9 | | relating to security of election system equipment. |
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| 14 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 15 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 123.034, Election Code, is amended to |
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| 16 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 17 | 13 | | Sec. 123.034. MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE OF EQUIPMENT. (a) |
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| 18 | 14 | | The governing body of a political subdivision shall provide for the |
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| 19 | 15 | | proper maintenance and storage of the equipment that the |
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| 20 | 16 | | subdivision acquires for use in the operation of a voting system. |
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| 21 | 17 | | (b) Equipment used in the operation of a voting system must |
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| 22 | 18 | | be stored in a locked room. |
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| 23 | 19 | | SECTION 2. Section 129.051, Election Code, is amended by |
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| 24 | 20 | | adding Subsections (a-1), (h), and (i) to read as follows: |
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| 25 | 21 | | (a-1) The inventory of electronic information storage media |
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| 26 | 22 | | maintained under Subsection (a) must include information on the |
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| 27 | 23 | | polling location at which the storage media will be used. |
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| 28 | 24 | | (h) The general custodian of election records shall place |
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| 29 | 25 | | security seals on each unit of voting system equipment to prevent |
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| 30 | 26 | | unauthorized access to the equipment. |
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| 31 | 27 | | (i) The general custodian of election records shall create a |
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| 32 | 28 | | procedure for documenting: |
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| 33 | 29 | | (1) which specific seals are placed on each unit of |
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| 34 | 30 | | voting system equipment; and |
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| 35 | 31 | | (2) any instances where the seals are removed, |
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| 36 | 32 | | including the identity of the individual who removed the seals and |
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| 37 | 33 | | accessed the voting system equipment and the purpose for accessing |
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| 38 | 34 | | the equipment. |
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| 39 | 35 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 40 | 36 | | an election ordered on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 41 | 37 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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