By Wilson H.B. No. 672
77R4181 PAM-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to lowering the minimum voting age in elections.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 11.002, Election Code, is amended to read
1-5 as follows:
1-6 Sec. 11.002. QUALIFIED VOTER. In this code, "qualified voter"
1-7 means a person who:
1-8 (1) is 14 [18] years of age or older;
1-9 (2) is a United States citizen;
1-10 (3) has not been determined mentally incompetent by a
1-11 final judgment of a court;
1-12 (4) has not been finally convicted of a felony or, if
1-13 so convicted, has:
1-14 (A) fully discharged the person's sentence,
1-15 including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or
1-16 completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or
1-17 (B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
1-18 resulting disability to vote;
1-19 (5) is a resident of this state; and
1-20 (6) is a registered voter.
1-21 SECTION 2. Section 13.001, Election Code, is amended to read
1-22 as follows:
1-23 Sec. 13.001. ELIGIBILITY FOR REGISTRATION. (a) To be
1-24 eligible for registration as a voter in this state, a person must:
2-1 (1) be 14 [18] years of age or older;
2-2 (2) be a United States citizen;
2-3 (3) not have been determined mentally incompetent by a
2-4 final judgment of a court;
2-5 (4) not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if
2-6 so convicted, must have:
2-7 (A) fully discharged the person's sentence,
2-8 including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or
2-9 completed a period of probation ordered by any court; or
2-10 (B) been pardoned or otherwise released from the
2-11 resulting disability to vote; and
2-12 (5) be a resident of the county in which application
2-13 for registration is made.
2-14 (b) To be eligible to apply for registration, a person must,
2-15 on the date the registration application is submitted to the
2-16 registrar, be at least 13 [17] years and 10 months of age and
2-17 satisfy the requirements of Subsection (a) except for age.
2-18 SECTION 3. Section 13.143(a), Election Code, is amended to
2-19 read as follows:
2-20 (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (e), if an
2-21 applicant's registration application is approved, the registration
2-22 becomes effective on the 30th day after the date the application is
2-23 submitted to the registrar or on the date the applicant becomes 14
2-24 [18] years of age, whichever is later.
2-25 SECTION 4. Section 16.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
2-26 read as follows:
2-27 (a) Each month the local registrar of deaths shall prepare
3-1 an abstract of each death certificate issued in the month for a
3-2 decedent 14 [18] years of age or older who was a resident of the
3-3 state at the time of death. The local registrar of deaths shall
3-4 file each abstract with the voter registrar of the decedent's
3-5 county of residence not later than the 10th day of the month
3-6 following the month in which the abstract is prepared.
3-7 SECTION 5. Section 16.002(a), Election Code, is amended to
3-8 read as follows:
3-9 (a) Each month the clerk of each court having jurisdiction
3-10 to adjudge a person mentally incompetent shall prepare an abstract
3-11 of each final judgment of a court served by the clerk, occurring in
3-12 the month, adjudging a person 14 [18] years of age or older who is
3-13 a resident of the state to be mentally incompetent.
3-14 SECTION 6. Section 16.003(a), Election Code, is amended to
3-15 read as follows:
3-16 (a) Each month the institutional division of the Texas
3-17 Department of Criminal Justice shall prepare an abstract of each
3-18 final judgment received by the institutional division, occurring in
3-19 the month, convicting a person 14 [18] years of age or older who is
3-20 a resident of the state of a felony.
3-21 SECTION 7. Section 64.002(b), Election Code, is amended to
3-22 read as follows:
3-23 (b) A child under 18 years of age may accompany the child's
3-24 parent to a voting station. A child under 18 years of age who is
3-25 voting may not be accompanied by the child's parent to a voting
3-26 station.
3-27 SECTION 8. Section 253.158(b), Election Code, is amended to
4-1 read as follows:
4-2 (b) In this section, "child" means a person:
4-3 (1) who is under 18 years of age;
4-4 (2) who is not and has not been married;
4-5 (3) [or] who has not had the disabilities of minority
4-6 removed for general purposes; and
4-7 (4) who is not registered to vote.
4-8 SECTION 9. (a) The change in law made by Section 4 of this
4-9 Act applies only to a death certificate issued as provided by
4-10 Section 16.001(a), Election Code, as amended by this Act, on or
4-11 after the effective date of this Act. A death certificate issued
4-12 before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
4-13 effect when the death certificate was issued, and the former law is
4-14 continued in effect for that purpose.
4-15 (b) The change in law made by Section 5 of this Act applies
4-16 only to a final judgment served as provided by Section 16.002(a),
4-17 Election Code, as amended by this Act, on or after the effective
4-18 date of this Act. A final judgment served before the effective
4-19 date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the final
4-20 judgment was served, and the former law is continued in effect for
4-21 that purpose.
4-22 (c) The change in law made by Section 6 of this Act applies
4-23 only to a final judgment received as provided by Section 16.003(a),
4-24 Election Code, as amended by this Act, on or after the effective
4-25 date of this Act. A final judgment received before the effective
4-26 date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the final
4-27 judgment was received, and the former law is continued in effect
5-1 for that purpose.
5-2 SECTION 10. This Act takes effect on the date the
5-3 constitutional amendment proposed by the 77th Legislature, Regular
5-4 Session, 2001, lowering the minimum voting age to 14 takes effect.
5-5 If the proposed constitutional amendment is not approved, this Act
5-6 has no effect.