| 1 | 1 | | By: Cook S.B. No. 2740 |
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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 ENACTED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to the inclusion of additional printed languages |
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| 9 | 9 | | for election materials in certain political subdivisions. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF |
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| 11 | 11 | | TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 272.011, Election Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 272.011. BILINGUAL ELECTION MATERIALS REQUIRED IN |
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| 15 | 15 | | CERTAIN POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (a) If the director of the census determines under 42 |
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| 17 | 17 | | U.S.C. Section 1973aa-1a that a political subdivision must 12 provide |
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| 18 | 18 | | election materials in a language other than English or Spanish, the |
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| 19 | 19 | | political subdivision shall provide election materials in that |
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| 20 | 20 | | language in the same manner in 15 which the political subdivision |
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| 21 | 21 | | would be required to provide materials in Spanish under this chapter, |
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| 22 | 22 | | to the |
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| 23 | 23 | | extent applicable. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) In addition to any and all languages included by Sec. |
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| 25 | 25 | | 272.011(a), all counties with a population more than |
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| 26 | 26 | | 2,500,000 persons shall provide election materials printed |
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| 27 | 27 | | in Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and French. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) The election administrator of all counties with a |
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| 29 | 29 | | population of more than 2,500,000 persons shall also have |
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| 30 | 30 | | discretion to provide election materials printed in |
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| 31 | 31 | | additional languages. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) (d) The secretary of state shall prepare the |
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| 33 | 33 | | translation for election materials required to be provided |
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| 34 | 34 | | in a language other than English or Spanish for the |
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| 35 | 35 | | following state prescribed voter forms: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (1) voter registration application form required by |
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| 37 | 37 | | Section 13.002; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) the confirmation form required by Section |
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| 39 | 39 | | 15.051; |
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| 40 | 40 | | (3) the voting instruction poster required by |
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| 41 | 41 | | Section 62.011; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (4) the reasonable impediment declaration required |
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| 43 | 43 | | by Section 63.001(b); |
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| 44 | 44 | | (5) the statement of residence form required by |
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| 45 | 45 | | Section 63.0011; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (6) the provisional ballot affidavit required by |
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| 47 | 47 | | Section 63.011; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (7) the application for a ballot by mail required 18 |
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| 49 | 49 | | by Section 84.011; |
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| 50 | 50 | | (8) the carrier envelope and voting instructions |
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| 51 | 51 | | required by Section 86.013; and |
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| 52 | 52 | | (9) any other voter forms that the secretary of |
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| 53 | 53 | | state identifies as frequently used and for which |
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| 54 | 54 | | state resources are otherwise available. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 2. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to |
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| 56 | 56 | | contradict or constrict any aspect of federal law. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, |
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| 58 | 58 | | 2025. |
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