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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to certain election practices and procedures. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 13.031(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) To be eligible for appointment as a volunteer deputy |
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registrar, a person must be eligible to register to vote in the |
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county served by the registrar [18 years of age or older]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 13.032, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 13.032. PROHIBITION ON REFUSING TO APPOINT. A |
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registrar may not refuse to appoint as a volunteer deputy |
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registrar: |
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(1) a person eligible to register to vote in [resident
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of] the county served by the registrar; or |
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(2) any person on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, |
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or national origin or ancestry. |
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SECTION 3. Section 16.0332, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 16.0332. CANCELLATION BECAUSE OF CITIZENSHIP STATUS. |
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(a) After the secretary of state receives a list under Section |
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62.113, Government Code, of persons excused or disqualified from |
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jury service because of citizenship status, the secretary of state |
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shall cancel the voter registration of each registered voter whose |
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name appears on the list. |
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(b) After the registrar receives a list under Section |
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62.113, Government Code, of persons excused or disqualified from |
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jury service because of citizenship status, the registrar shall |
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deliver to each registered voter whose name appears on the list [a] |
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written notice that the person's voter registration has been |
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canceled [requiring the voter to submit to the registrar proof of
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United States citizenship in the form of a certified copy of the
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voter's birth certificate, United States passport, or certificate
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of naturalization or any other form prescribed by the secretary of
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state. The notice shall be delivered by forwardable mail to the
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mailing address on the voter's registration application and to any
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new address of the voter known to the registrar]. |
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[(b) If a voter fails to submit to the registrar proof of
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citizenship on or before the 30th day after the date the notice is
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mailed, the registrar shall cancel the voter's registration.
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[(c)
The registrar shall retain a copy of the notice mailed
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to a voter under this section on file with the voter's registration
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application. The registrar shall also retain any proof of
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citizenship received under this section on file with the
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application.] |
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SECTION 4. Section 16.036(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) The notice must include: |
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(1) the date of cancellation; |
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(2) the reason for cancellation; and |
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(3) a brief explanation of the voter's right to |
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challenge the cancellation and to appeal the [registrar's] decision |
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of the registrar or secretary of state, as applicable. |
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SECTION 5. Section 85.001(e), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(e) For an election held on the uniform election date in May |
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and any resulting runoff election, the period for early voting by |
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personal appearance begins on the 12th day before election day and |
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continues through the fourth day before election day. |
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SECTION 6. Section 123.032(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The maximum amount that a county in which a political |
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subdivision is wholly or partly situated may charge the political |
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subdivision for leasing county-owned equipment is 10 percent of the |
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purchase price of the equipment [for each day the equipment is
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leased]. |
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SECTION 7. Section 62.0142, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 62.0142. NOTICE ON WRITTEN SUMMONS. If a written |
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summons for jury duty allows a person to claim a disqualification or |
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exemption by signing a statement and returning it to the clerk of |
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the court, the form must notify the person that by claiming a |
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disqualification or exemption based on the lack of citizenship or |
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lack of residence in the county the person shall [might] no longer |
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be eligible to vote in the county. |
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SECTION 8. Section 62.113(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) On the third business day of each month, the clerk shall |
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send a copy of the list of persons excused or disqualified because |
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of citizenship in the previous month to the voter registrar of the |
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county and the secretary of state. |
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SECTION 9. The appointment of a person serving as a |
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volunteer deputy registrar who does not meet the eligibility |
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requirements of Section 13.031(d), Election Code, as amended by |
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this Act, expires on the effective date of this Act. The secretary |
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of state shall prescribe procedures necessary to implement this |
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section. |
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SECTION 10. The changes in law made by Section 7 of this Act |
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apply only to a person summoned for jury duty on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. A person summoned for jury duty before |
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the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect |
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immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 11. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |