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 and,
1-10     if written request is made to the Department of Public Safety by
1-11     the commissioners court, applies to a person who resides in a
1-12     county with a population greater than 400,000 but less than 2.1
1-13     million.
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.  The secretary of state shall monitor the
2-10     implementation of Section 20.066, Election Code, as added by this
2-11     Act, and report the secretary's findings and any recommendations to
2-12     the legislature not later than December 1, 2002.
2-13           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 2691 was passed by the House on May
         2, 2001, by a non-record vote; and that the House concurred in
         Senate amendments to H.B. No. 2691 on May 25, 2001, by a non-record
         vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
               I certify that H.B. No. 2691 was passed by the Senate, with
         amendments, on May 17, 2001, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
         APPROVED:  __________________________
                              Date
                    __________________________
                            Governor