By Oakley, et al.                                     H.B. No. 1382
       74R3752 DRH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to allowing a person who will be 18 years of age before
    1-3  the general election for state and county officers to vote in the
    1-4  preceding primary elections.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 172, Election Code, is
    1-7  amended by adding Section 172.005 to read as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 172.005.  VOTING BY PERSON UNDER AGE 18.  (a)
    1-9  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person may vote in a
   1-10  primary election if the person:
   1-11              (1)  will be 18 years of age or older on the first day
   1-12  of the period for early voting by personal appearance in the
   1-13  subsequent general election for state and county officers; and
   1-14              (2)  satisfies the requirements for being a qualified
   1-15  voter except for age.
   1-16        (b)  The secretary of state, after consulting with the state
   1-17  chairman of each political party required to make nominations by
   1-18  primary election, shall prescribe the procedures necessary to
   1-19  implement this section.
   1-20        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-21        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-22  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-23  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-24  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-1  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
    2-2                       COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
    2-3        Amend H.B. No. 1382 as follows:
    2-4        (1)  On page 1, lines 11-12, strike "first day of the period
    2-5  for early voting by personal appearance in" and substitute "date
    2-6  of".
    2-7        (2)  Add a new SECTION 2 of the bill to read as follows:
    2-8        SECTION 2.  Section 13.001(b), Election Code, is amended to
    2-9  read as follows:
   2-10        (b)  To be eligible to apply for registration, a person must,
   2-11  on the date the registration application is submitted to the
   2-12  registrar, be at least 17 years <and 10 months> of age and satisfy
   2-13  the requirements of Subsection (a) except for age.
   2-14        (3)  Renumber the remaining sections of the bill as
   2-15  appropriate.
   2-16  74R10134 DRH-F                                             Ehrhardt
   2-17                       COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 2
   2-18        Amend H.B. No. 1382 by striking the SECTION of the bill
   2-19  containing the effective date of the bill and substituting the
   2-20  following:
   2-21        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect on the date on which the
   2-22  constitutional amendment proposed by the 74th Legislature, Regular
   2-23  Session, 1995, authorizing certain persons under the age of 18 to
   2-24  vote in a primary election, takes effect.  If that amendment is not
   2-25  approved by the voters, this Act has no effect.
   2-26  74R10289 DRH-D                                             Ehrhardt