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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to election supplies and the conduct of elections; |
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creating criminal offenses; increasing criminal penalties. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.005, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (d) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The authority responsible for procuring the election |
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supplies for an election shall provide for each election precinct a |
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number of ballots equal to at least the percentage of voters who |
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voted in that precinct in the most recent corresponding election |
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plus 25 percent of that number. |
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(a-1) The[, except that the] number of ballots provided may |
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not exceed the total number of registered voters in the precinct |
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unless the county participates in the countywide polling place |
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program under Section 43.007. |
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(d) The authority responsible for procuring the election |
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supplies for an election commits an offense if the authority |
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intentionally fails to provide an election precinct with the |
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required number of ballots under this section. An offense under |
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this subsection is a Class A misdemeanor. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.008, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) The authority responsible for procuring the election |
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supplies for an election commits an offense if the authority |
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intentionally fails to promptly supplement the distributed ballots |
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upon request by a polling place. An offense under this subsection is |
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a Class A misdemeanor. |
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SECTION 3. Section 51.010(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) An offense under this section is a Class A [C] |
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misdemeanor. |
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SECTION 4. Section 51.011(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony |
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[Class C misdemeanor]. |
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SECTION 5. Section 61.007(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony |
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[Class A misdemeanor]. |
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SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections |
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51.010, 51.011, and 61.007, Election Code, apply only to an offense |
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committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense |
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committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the |
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law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this |
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section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this |
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Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |