By Madden, Danburg H.B. No. 2691 77R11530 E A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to procedures for the electronic transfer of voter 1-3 registration applications by certain voter registration agencies. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 20, Election Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 20.066 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 20.066. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN POPULOUS 1-8 COUNTIES. (a) This section applies unilaterally to a person who 1-9 resides in a county with a population of 2.1 million or more, 1-10 though the office responsible for voter registration in a county 1-11 with a population greater than 400,000 but less than 2.1 million is 1-12 able to request identical treatment of its citizens applying to 1-13 register to vote. 1-14 (b) If a person completes a voter registration application 1-15 as provided by Section 20.063, the Department of Public Safety 1-16 shall: 1-17 (1) input the information provided on the application 1-18 into the department's electronic data system; and 1-19 (2) inform the applicant that the applicant's 1-20 electronic signature provided to the department will be used for 1-21 submitting the applicant's voter registration application. 1-22 (c) Not later than the fifth day after the date a person 1-23 completes a voter registration application and provides an 1-24 electronic signature to the department, the department shall 2-1 electronically transfer the applicant's voter registration data, 2-2 including the applicant's signature, to the voter registrar of the 2-3 county in which the applicant resides. 2-4 (d) The voter registrar shall maintain a database approved 2-5 by the secretary of state for receiving electronically transmitted 2-6 registration applications under this section. 2-7 (e) The secretary of state shall prescribe additional 2-8 procedures as necessary to implement this section. 2-9 SECTION 2. (a) A committee is created to study and report 2-10 on the implementation of Section 20.066, Election Code, as added by 2-11 this Act. 2-12 (b) The study committee consists of a member appointed by 2-13 the secretary of state, a member appointed by the Department of 2-14 Public Safety, a member appointed by the lieutenant governor, and a 2-15 member appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. 2-16 (c) The study committee shall report its findings and any 2-17 recommendations to the legislature not later than December 1, 2002. 2-18 (d) The study committee is abolished and this section 2-19 expires September 1, 2003. 2-20 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.