By:  Alonzo                                           H.B. No. 2278
       73R5189 DRH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to voting by a lawfully admitted resident alien in a
    1-3  school district or junior college district election.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Title 2, Election Code, is amended by adding
    1-6  Chapter 20 to read as follows:
    1-7                CHAPTER 20.  VOTING BY RESIDENT ALIENS
    1-8        Sec. 20.001.  QUALIFICATIONS.  Notwithstanding any other
    1-9  provision of law, a person who meets the qualifications to vote
   1-10  under Section 11.002 except that the person is not a United States
   1-11  citizen is qualified to vote in an election held by a school
   1-12  district or a junior college district if the person is lawfully
   1-13  admitted for permanent residence, as defined by 8 U.S.C. Section
   1-14  1101.
   1-15        Sec. 20.002.  REGISTRATION.  Notwithstanding any other
   1-16  provision of law, a person who is eligible to register to vote
   1-17  under Section 13.001 except that the person is not a United States
   1-18  citizen is eligible to register to vote in an election held by a
   1-19  school district or a junior college district if the person is
   1-20  lawfully admitted for permanent residence, as defined by 8 U.S.C.
   1-21  Section 1101.
   1-22        Sec. 20.003.  FORMS AND PROCEDURE.  (a)  The secretary of
   1-23  state shall prescribe the design and content of a:
   1-24              (1)  form to apply for registration to vote by a person
    2-1  who is qualified to vote under this chapter; and
    2-2              (2)  limited use registration certificate for a person
    2-3  who has registered to vote under this chapter.
    2-4        (b)  The procedure for the administration of a limited use
    2-5  registration certificate issued under this chapter is the same as
    2-6  the procedure for the administration of a registration certificate
    2-7  under this title.
    2-8        (c)  The secretary of state shall adopt rules for the
    2-9  verification of a person's status at the time a person seeks to
   2-10  register to vote under this chapter.
   2-11        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 1994, but only
   2-12  if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 73rd Legislature,
   2-13  Regular Session, relating to permitting a lawfully admitted
   2-14  resident alien to vote in an election held by a school district or
   2-15  a junior college district, is approved by the voters.
   2-16        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.