BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 155

By: Perry

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In Texas, if the secretary of state determines that a voter on the statewide computerized voter registration list has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen, the secretary of state is required to send notice of the determination to the voter registrar of the appropriate counties. There have been calls for the notification of other authorities in order to prevent voter fraud. C.S.S.B. 155 seeks to ensure that the appropriate authorities are notified when a person is excused from a jury based on the fact that they are not a citizen or no longer a resident of the county.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 155 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state to compare quarterly with the statewide computerized voter registration list the information received under statutory provisions relating to the compilation of a list containing the name and address of each person who is excused or disqualified from jury service because the person is not a resident of the county. The bill requires the secretary of state to send notice of a determination that a voter on such a list has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a resident of the county in which the voter is registered to vote to the voter registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the secretary and to the attorney general, who is required to quarterly review the information to investigate whether a person has committed an offense of making a false statement on a voter registration application or under other law.

C.S.S.B. 155 amends the Government Code to include the attorney general among the monthly recipients of the list of persons excused or disqualified because of citizenship in the previous month that is provided for purposes of an investigation of whether the person committed an offense of making a false statement on a voter application or under other law. The bill requires a court clerk on the third business day of each month to send a copy of the list of persons excused or disqualified in the previous month because the persons do not reside in the county to the secretary of state and the attorney general and either the county or district attorney for an investigation of whether the person committed such an offense.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF SENATE ENGROSSED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.S.B. 155 may differ from the engrossed in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the engrossed and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Whereas the engrossed required the lists under the bill's Government Code provisions to be sent to the county or district attorney, as applicable, or the attorney general, the substitute requires the lists to be sent to the attorney general and to the county or district attorney.