BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                       H.B. 770

80R1115 DRH-D                                                                                   By: Dutton, Guillen (Lucio)

                                                                                                                                       State Affairs

                                                                                                                                            4/21/2007

                                                                                                                                           Engrossed

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Formerly incarcerated adults are authorized to register to vote in Texas after they have completed their sentence or the terms of probation or parole.  Correctional officials provide information to prisoners in agency handbooks and provide voter eligibility information at other points of contact.  However, many of those formerly incarcerated are not aware that they may be eligible to vote upon discharge, and the procedures for registering said adults is considered informal.  Providing voter information and registration at the point of exit from prison may improve the ability of formerly incarcerated adults to reintegrate and participate fully in civil society. 

 

H.B. 770 requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to provide written notification to discharged prisoners regarding potential voting eligibility and to provide those persons with a voter registration application. 

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 20, Election Code, by adding Subchapter F, as follows:

SUBCHAPTER F.  TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

 

Sec. 20.151.  APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS.  Provides that the other provisions of this chapter (Voter Registration Agencies) do not apply to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

 

Sec. 20.152.  NOTICE TO FORMER INMATE.  (a)  Requires TDCJ to provide written notice to a former inmate that the person may be eligible to vote if the person is no longer subject to the disability referred to in Section 11.002(4) (regarding disqualification of a person from voting for committing a felony except under certain circumstances), Election Code. 

 

(b)  Requires TDCJ to provide to the person an official voter registration application form together with the notice required by Subsection (a). 

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2007.