75R12195 GGS-D
By Danburg, Madden, Hodge, Jones of Dallas, H.B. No. 1852
et al.
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1852:
By Madden C.S.H.B. No. 1852
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to certain voter registration processes and procedures.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 13.002(a), Election Code, is amended to
1-5 read as follows:
1-6 (a) A person desiring to register to vote must submit an
1-7 application to the registrar of the county in which the person
1-8 resides. An application must be submitted by personal delivery or
1-9 by mail.
1-10 SECTION 2. Section 13.004, Election Code, is amended to read
1-11 as follows:
1-12 Sec. 13.004. RECORDING OF TELEPHONE NUMBER OR SOCIAL
1-13 SECURITY NUMBER BY REGISTRAR PROHIBITED. The registrar may not
1-14 transcribe, copy, or otherwise record a telephone number or social
1-15 security number furnished on a registration application.
1-16 SECTION 3. Section 13.122(a), Election Code, is amended to
1-17 read as follows:
1-18 (a) In addition to the other statements and spaces for
1-19 entering information that appear on an officially prescribed
1-20 registration application form, each official form must include:
1-21 (1) the statement: "I understand that giving false
1-22 information to procure a voter registration is perjury and a crime
1-23 under state and federal law.";
1-24 (2) a space for the applicant's registration number;
2-1 (3) a space for the applicant's Texas driver's license
2-2 number or number of a personal identification card issued by the
2-3 Department of Public Safety;
2-4 (4) a space for the applicant's telephone number;
2-5 (5) a space for the applicant's social security
2-6 number;
2-7 (6) a space for the applicant's sex;
2-8 (7) a statement indicating that the furnishing of the
2-9 applicant's driver's license number, personal identification card
2-10 number, telephone number, social security number, and sex is
2-11 optional;
2-12 (8) a space or box for indicating whether the
2-13 applicant or voter is submitting new registration information or a
2-14 change in current registration information;
2-15 (9) a statement instructing a voter who is using the
2-16 form to make a change in current registration information to enter
2-17 the voter's name and the changed information in the appropriate
2-18 spaces on the form;
2-19 (10) [(8)] a statement that if the applicant declines
2-20 to register to vote, that fact will remain confidential and will be
2-21 used only for voter registration purposes;
2-22 (11) [(9)] a statement that if the applicant does
2-23 register to vote, information regarding the agency or office to
2-24 which the application is submitted will remain confidential and
2-25 will be used only for voter registration purposes; and
2-26 (12) [(10)] any other voter registration information
2-27 required by federal law or considered appropriate and required by
3-1 the secretary of state.
3-2 SECTION 4. Section 13.143(e), Election Code, is amended to
3-3 read as follows:
3-4 (e) If the 30th day before the date of an election is a
3-5 Saturday, Sunday, or legal state or national holiday, an
3-6 application [submitted by mail] is considered to be timely if it is
3-7 submitted to the registrar on or before [the date indicated by the
3-8 post office cancellation mark is] the next regular business day.
3-9 SECTION 5. Section 15.021(b), Election Code, is amended to
3-10 read as follows:
3-11 (b) The voter shall use the registration certificate or a
3-12 registration application form as the notice, indicating the correct
3-13 information in the appropriate space on the certificate or
3-14 application form unless the voter does not have possession of the
3-15 certificate or an application form at the time of giving the
3-16 notice.
3-17 SECTION 6. Section 16.031(a), Election Code, is amended to
3-18 read as follows:
3-19 (a) The registrar shall cancel a voter's registration
3-20 immediately on receipt of:
3-21 (1) notice under Section 13.072(b) or 15.021 or a
3-22 response under Section 15.053 that the voter's residence is outside
3-23 the county;
3-24 (2) an abstract of the voter's death certificate under
3-25 Section 16.001(a) or an abstract of an application indicating that
3-26 the voter is deceased under Section 16.001(b);
3-27 (3) an abstract of a final judgment of the voter's
4-1 mental incompetence, conviction of a felony, or disqualification
4-2 under Section 16.002, 16.003, or 16.004;
4-3 (4) notice under Section 112.012 that the voter has
4-4 applied for a limited ballot in another county; [or]
4-5 (5) notice from a voter registration official in
4-6 another state that the voter has registered to vote outside this
4-7 state; or
4-8 (6) notice from the secretary of state that the voter
4-9 has registered to vote in another county, as determined by the
4-10 voter's driver's license number or personal identification card
4-11 number issued by the Department of Public Safety or social security
4-12 number.
4-13 SECTION 7. Section 19.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
4-14 read as follows:
4-15 (a) Before May 15 of each year, the registrar shall prepare
4-16 and submit to the comptroller of public accounts a statement
4-17 containing:
4-18 (1) the total number of initial registrations for the
4-19 previous voting year; [and]
4-20 (2) the total number of registrations canceled under
4-21 Sections 16.031(a)(1) and 16.033 for the previous voting year; and
4-22 (3) the total number of registrations for which
4-23 information was updated for the previous voting year.
4-24 SECTION 8. Section 19.002(a), Election Code, is amended to
4-25 read as follows:
4-26 (a) Each registrar is entitled to receive the sum of the
4-27 following amounts:
5-1 (1) 25 [40] cents multiplied by the number of initial
5-2 registrations certified under Section 19.001(a)(1);
5-3 (2) 40 cents multiplied by the number of canceled
5-4 registrations certified under Section 19.001(a)(2); [and]
5-5 (3) 40 cents multiplied by the number of updated
5-6 registrations under Section 19.001(a)(3); and
5-7 (4) in each even-numbered year, 40 cents multiplied by
5-8 the difference between the number of registered voters and the
5-9 number of initial registrations certified for the two previous
5-10 voting years.
5-11 SECTION 9. Section 20.063, Election Code, is amended by
5-12 adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
5-13 (d) If a completed voter registration application submitted
5-14 to a department employee does not include the applicant's correct
5-15 driver's license number or personal identification card number, a
5-16 department employee shall enter the appropriate information on the
5-17 application. If a completed application does not include the
5-18 applicant's correct residence address or mailing address, a
5-19 department employee shall obtain the appropriate information from
5-20 the applicant and enter the information on the application.
5-21 SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.
5-22 SECTION 11. The importance of this legislation and the
5-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-25 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-26 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.