BILL ANALYSIS
By: Bohac
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Election officials use three forms that are used in different capacities but require most of the same information: the voter registration form, confirmation of residence form and statement of residence form. These forms are nearly identical and require nearly the same amount of information with one exception; the confirmation of residence form and statement of residence form do not include the citizenship question.
Law requires the official to confirm the voter's address before allowing a person to vote. A confirmation of residence form is used by elections officials who, for whatever reason, are unable to verify a registered voter's address. The statement of residence form is used at polling sites when a voter has moved or resides at a residence other than their registered address. Although these forms are nearly identical to the voter registration application, they are not interchangeable.
C.S.H.B. 3742 requires the two forms to have all of the same information as a voter registration card so that when a person fills out the statement of residence or confirmation of residence form, the information will be sufficient to register that person to vote in the next election.
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
C.S.H.B. 3742 amends sections of the Elections Code regarding the information required for statement of residence forms and confirmation of residence forms, by requiring these forms to include all of the information that a person must include in an application to register to vote under Section 13.002 of the Elections Code.
The bill states that the secretary of state is required to prescribe official forms for implementation of the changes in law made by this bill no later than September 1, 2007.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 3742 changes the caption of the original bill to read "relating to the requirements for a voter's confirmation of residence or statement of residence."
The substitute strikes changes to Sec. 15.053(c) in the original and reformats them under Sec. 15.052(a) and (b).
C.S.H.B. 3742 adds SECTION 2 amending Section 15.053(a), Election Code, and renumbers the bill appropriately. The change states that the response must contain all of the information a person must include in an application to register to vote under Section 13.002.
SECTION 2 of H.B. 3742 is changed to SECTION 3 of C.S.H.B. 3742 and reformats amended language in Section 63.011(c) of the Election Code.
C.S.H.B. 3742 changes the effective date to September 1, 2007, instead of an immediate effective date as prescribed by H.B. 3742.