1-1 By: Dutton (Senate Sponsor - Cain) H.B. No. 1001
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 1997;
1-3 May 7, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State
1-4 Affairs; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 12, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to eligibility requirements for voting by persons
1-9 convicted of a felony.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 11.002, Election Code, is amended to read
1-12 as follows:
1-13 Sec. 11.002. Qualified Voter. In this code, "qualified
1-14 voter" means a person who:
1-15 (1) is 18 years of age or older;
1-16 (2) is a United States citizen;
1-17 (3) has not been determined mentally incompetent by a
1-18 final judgment of a court;
1-19 (4) has not been finally convicted of a felony or, if
1-20 so convicted, has:
1-21 (A) fully discharged the person's sentence,
1-22 including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision [been
1-23 issued discharge papers by the pardons and paroles division or
1-24 institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice,
1-25 or by a federal or other state correctional institution or parole
1-26 board], or completed a period of probation ordered by any court
1-27 [and at least two years have elapsed from the date of the issuance
1-28 or completion]; or
1-29 (B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
1-30 resulting disability to vote;
1-31 (5) is a resident of this state; and
1-32 (6) is a registered voter.
1-33 SECTION 2. Section 13.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
1-34 read as follows:
1-35 (a) To be eligible for registration as a voter in this
1-36 state, a person must:
1-37 (1) be 18 years of age or older;
1-38 (2) be a United States citizen;
1-39 (3) not have been determined mentally incompetent by a
1-40 final judgment of a court;
1-41 (4) not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if
1-42 so convicted, must have:
1-43 (A) fully discharged the person's sentence,
1-44 including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision [been
1-45 issued discharge papers by the pardons and paroles division or
1-46 institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice,
1-47 or by a federal or other state correctional institution or parole
1-48 board], or completed a period of probation ordered by any court
1-49 [and at least two years have elapsed from the date of the issuance
1-50 or completion]; or
1-51 (B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
1-52 resulting disability to vote; and
1-53 (5) be a resident of the county in which application
1-54 for registration is made.
1-55 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
1-56 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
1-57 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-58 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-59 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-60 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-61 * * * * *