By Maxey                                               H.B. No. 615
         77R594 PAM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to requiring voter registrars to accept voter registration
 1-3     applications and digital signatures on voter registration
 1-4     applications submitted by digital transmission.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Section 13.002, Election Code, is amended by
 1-7     amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (e) to read
 1-8     as follows:
 1-9           (a)  A person desiring to register to vote must submit an
1-10     application to the registrar of the county in which the person
1-11     resides.  An application must be submitted by personal delivery,
1-12     [or] by mail, or by digital transmission.
1-13           (b)  A registration application must be in writing and signed
1-14     by the applicant.  A digital signature submitted by digital
1-15     transmission is sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this
1-16     subsection.
1-17           (e)  The secretary of state shall:
1-18                 (1)  adopt rules to:
1-19                       (A)  approve technologies for submitting a
1-20     registration application by digital transmission under Subsection
1-21     (a); and
1-22                       (B)  approve technologies capable of creating
1-23     digital signatures that are:
1-24                             (i)  unique to the person using the
 2-1     signature;
 2-2                             (ii)  capable of verification;
 2-3                             (iii)  under the sole control of the person
 2-4     using the signature;
 2-5                             (iv)  linked to the registration
 2-6     application in a manner that, if the information in the application
 2-7     is changed, the signature is invalidated; and
 2-8                             (v)  consistent with any other criteria the
 2-9     secretary determines necessary to ensure the validity of the
2-10     signature; and
2-11                 (2)  prescribe additional procedures as necessary to
2-12     implement a system for the digital transmission of registration
2-13     applications and the use of digital signatures on registration
2-14     applications.
2-15           SECTION 2. (a)  This Act takes effect January 1, 2002.
2-16           (b)  On or before December 31, 2001, the secretary of state
2-17     shall adopt rules and prescribe procedures, as necessary, as
2-18     provided by Section 13.002(e), as added by this Act.