By Madden                                             H.B. No. 2384
         76R7581 DRH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the eligibility of certain persons to vote in an
 1-3     election for a federal office.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 114.002, Election Code, is amended to
 1-6     read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 114.002.  ELIGIBILITY.  A United States citizen dwelling
 1-8     outside the United States is eligible to vote a federal ballot by
 1-9     mail if:
1-10                 (1)  the citizen's:
1-11                       (A)  most recent domicile in the United States
1-12     was in this state and the citizen's intent to return to this state
1-13     is uncertain; or
1-14                       (B)  parent is a registered voter in this state;
1-15                 (2)  the citizen would be eligible for registration as
1-16     a voter in this state if a resident; and
1-17                 (3)  the citizen is not eligible to vote on federal
1-18     offices in any other state.
1-19           SECTION 2.  Section 114.003, Election Code, is amended to
1-20     read as follows:
1-21           Sec. 114.003.  OFFICES ON WHICH VOTER ENTITLED TO VOTE.  A
1-22     person voting a federal ballot is entitled to vote only on each
1-23     federal office to be  voted on in the election precinct:
1-24                 (1)  of the person's most recent domicile in this
 2-1     state, if the person is eligible under Section 114.002(1)(A); or
 2-2                 (2)  in which the person's parent is registered to
 2-3     vote, if the person is eligible under Section 114.002(1)(B).
 2-4           SECTION 3.  Section 114.004(b), Election Code, is amended to
 2-5     read as follows:
 2-6           (b)  The application must be submitted to the early voting
 2-7     clerk serving the applicable election precinct described by Section
 2-8     114.003 [of the applicant's most recent domicile in this state].
 2-9           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-10           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.