By Dutton H.B. No. 1001
75R8020 DRH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to eligibility requirements for voting by persons
1-3 convicted of a felony.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 11.002, Election Code, is amended to read
1-6 as follows:
1-7 Sec. 11.002. Qualified Voter. In this code, "qualified
1-8 voter" means a person who:
1-9 (1) is 18 years of age or older;
1-10 (2) is a United States citizen;
1-11 (3) has not been determined mentally incompetent by a
1-12 final judgment of a court;
1-13 (4) has not been finally convicted of a felony or, if
1-14 so convicted, has:
1-15 (A) fully discharged the person's sentence,
1-16 including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision [been
1-17 issued discharge papers by the pardons and paroles division or
1-18 institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice,
1-19 or by a federal or other state correctional institution or parole
1-20 board], or completed a period of probation ordered by any court
1-21 [and at least two years have elapsed from the date of the issuance
1-22 or completion]; or
1-23 (B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
1-24 resulting disability to vote;
2-1 (5) is a resident of this state; and
2-2 (6) is a registered voter.
2-3 SECTION 2. Section 13.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
2-4 read as follows:
2-5 (a) To be eligible for registration as a voter in this
2-6 state, a person must:
2-7 (1) be 18 years of age or older;
2-8 (2) be a United States citizen;
2-9 (3) not have been determined mentally incompetent by a
2-10 final judgment of a court;
2-11 (4) not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if
2-12 so convicted, must have:
2-13 (A) fully discharged the person's sentence,
2-14 including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision [been
2-15 issued discharge papers by the pardons and paroles division or
2-16 institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice,
2-17 or by a federal or other state correctional institution or parole
2-18 board], or completed a period of probation ordered by any court
2-19 [and at least two years have elapsed from the date of the issuance
2-20 or completion]; or
2-21 (B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
2-22 resulting disability to vote; and
2-23 (5) be a resident of the county in which application
2-24 for registration is made.
2-25 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
2-26 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.