Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 3159	House Author:  Leach et al.
Effective:  Vetoed	Senate Sponsor:  Hughes et al.

            House Bill 3159 amends the Election Code to provide for the establishment of an accessible absentee mail system to be used for the sole purpose of enabling a voter who has a disability and needs assistive technology for marking or reading the ballot to mark, print, and mail their ballot without the assistance of another person. Among other provisions, the bill requires the accessible absentee mail system to be an electronic system and authorizes a person eligible for early voting by mail on the grounds of disability or confinement for childbirth to receive and cast a ballot using the system.

Governor's Reason for Veto: "According to its author, House Bill No. 3159 is intended 'to benefit blind, visually impaired Texans, people with dyslexia, or persons with limited dexterity of their arms or hands such as persons with quadriplegia.' While this intent is laudable, the text of the bill is not limited to assisting this group. Instead, it allows any voter who qualifies to vote by mail to receive a ballot electronically. I look forward to working with the author to craft language that achieves his worthy goal, without unintended consequences."