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.