BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1270

                                                                                                                                           By: Bohac

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law states that the only eligibility requirement for appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar is that the person be 18 years of age or older.  A volunteer deputy registrar has the power to distribute voter registration application forms throughout the county and to receive registration applications submitted to the deputy in person.  These forms contain significant pieces of a voter's personal identification information.  House Bill 1270 would expand the eligibility requirements to make them consistent with the requirements for eligibility to vote and ensure that those currently serving a sentence for felony conviction do not have access to the personal information on the registration applications.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1270 amends the Election Code by adding to the eligibility requirements for appointment as a volunteer deputy registrar.  The bill provides that a person must:

• not have been determined mentally incompetent by a final judgement of a court;
• be a U.S. citizen; and
• not have been finally convicted of a felony, or have fully discharged the person's sentence or been pardoned.

The bill prohibits a voter registrar from refusing to appoint a person who meets the eligibility requirements and removes the language prohibiting the registrar from refusing to appoint a resident of the county.

The bill provides that these provisions apply only to appointments of volunteer deputy registrars made on or after September 1, 2005.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2005.