BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Under current eligibility requirements for service as a volunteer deputy voter registrar, a person must be at least 18 years of age and not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if so convicted, must have either fully discharged the person's sentence or been pardoned.
H.B. 1570 requires a regular or volunteer deputy voter registrar to complete a training program before being allowed to register voters. This requirement ensures that a deputy voter registrar has the knowledge to perform the required duties and increases efficiency in county clerks' offices by relieving the county clerks of some of the time and paperwork involved in processing voter registration applications.
H.B. 1570 amends current law relating to training for deputy voter registrars.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 12.006, Election Code, by adding Subsection (e), as follows:
(e) Prohibits a regular deputy registrar from assisting in the registration of voters until the deputy registrar has completed training developed under Section 13.047. Requires the voter registrar, at the time of appointment, to provide information about the times and places at which training is offered.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 13.031, Election Code, by adding Subsection (e), as follows:
(e) Prohibits a volunteer deputy registrar appointed under this section from receiving another person's registration application until the deputy registrar has completed training developed under Section 13.047. Requires the voter registrar, at the time of appointment, to provide information about the times and places at which training is offered.
SECTION 3. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 13, Election Code, by adding Section 13.047, as follows:
Sec. 13.047. TRAINING STANDARDS FOR DEPUTY REGISTRARS. (a) Requires the secretary of state (SOS) to:
(1) adopt standards of training in election law relating to the registration of voters;
(2) develop materials for a standardized curriculum for that training; and
(3) distribute the materials as necessary to each county voter registrar.
(b) Authorizes that the training standards include the passage of an examination at the end of a training program.
SECTION 4. Requires SOS to adopt training standards under Section 13.047, Election Code, as added by this Act, not later than January 1, 2012.
SECTION 5. Provides that the changes in law made by this Act apply only to a deputy voter registrar appointed on or after the date SOS adopts training standards under Section 13.047, Election Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2011.