|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the punishment for illegal voting; increasing criminal |
|
penalties. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 64.012(b), Election Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the second |
|
degree unless the person is convicted of an attempt. In that case, |
|
the offense is a state jail felony [Class A misdemeanor]. |
|
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|
an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
|
offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
|
by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former |
|
law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this |
|
section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this |
|
Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |