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.

         _______________________________     _______________________________

             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1001 was passed by the House on May

         5, 1997, by a non-record vote.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Chief Clerk of the House

               I certify that H.B. No. 1001 was passed by the Senate on May

         26, 1997, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                             _______________________________

                                                 Secretary of the Senate

         APPROVED:  _____________________

                            Date

                    _____________________

                          Governor