SRC-JBJ S.B. 1529 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1529 77R9311 PAM-DBy: Shapiro State Affairs 3/26/2001 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, information is compiled on a monthly basis for the purposes of determining which persons are eligible to vote in a national, state, or local election. This monthly process can lead to some incomplete and incorrect voter registration rolls. As proposed, S.B. 1529 requires, on a weekly basis, the Department of Public Safety (department) to supply the secretary of state with information relating to any Texas resident of voting age that has been convicted of a felony; the secretary of state to notify county registrars of the change in voting status of any resident in that county; county registrars to supply information to the secretary of state identifying any registered voter improperly on the master file due to death, duplication, or other reason; and the department to provide the secretary of state with the name and information of anyone submitting a voter registration application. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 16.003, Election Code, to require the Department of Public Safety (department) to prepare each week an abstract of each final judgment received by the department convicting a person 18 years of age or older who is a resident of the state of a felony. Deletes existing text pertaining to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) preparing such a document. Requires the department to file each abstract with the secretary of state not later than one week following the week in which the abstract is prepared. Requires the secretary of state to file each abstract received under this subsection with the voter registrar of the person's county of residence not later than one week following the week in which the abstract is received under this subsection. Deletes existing text pertaining to TDCJ filing such a document. SECTION 2. Amends Sections 18.063(a), (c), and (d), Election Code, to require each registrar of a county that has not contracted with the secretary of state for electronic data services to facilitate the implementation of the registration service program to deliver to the secretary of state a list containing each new registration, canceled registration, and change in registration information that has occurred in the county since the delivery of the previous list under this subsection or Subsection (b), as applicable, once each week, rather than on or after the first day but before the 16th day of January, March, June, September, and December of each year. Requires the secretary to use the information to update the state master file and to identify any voters in the master file that may be duplicated, deceased, or ineligible because of a felony conviction. Requires the secretary to notify the registrar of the appropriate county of any voter included in the master file that may be duplicated, deceased, or ineligible because of a felony conviction. Requires the secretary to prescribe the form for the lists required by this section and prescribe procedures as necessary to implement this section. SECTION 3. Amends Section 19.004, Election Code, to authorize state funds disbursed under this chapter to be used only to defray expenses of the registrar's office in connection with voter registration, including additional expenses related to implementation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. Section 1973gg et seq.), and complying with the weekly updating requirements prescribed by Section 18.063. Requires the secretary of state to specify the procedures that result in additional expenses and that are required under this section, rather than to implement that federal law. SECTION 4. Amends Section 20.065, Election Code, to require the department, once each week, to electronically transfer to the secretary of state the name of each person who completes a voter registration application submitted to the department. Requires the secretary to prescribe procedures necessary to implement this subsection. Requires the secretary of state, not later than the seventh day after the date the secretary of state receives information under Subsection (b), to inform the appropriate voter registrar of the name of each person who completes a voter registration application submitted to the department. Authorizes the registrar to verify that the registrar has received each application as indicated by the information provided by the secretary under this subsection. SECTION 5. Effective date: January 1, 2002.