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R E S O L U T I O N
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BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, 82nd |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2011, That Senate Rule 12.03 be |
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suspended in part as provided by Senate Rule 12.08 to enable the |
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conference committee appointed to resolve the differences on Senate |
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Bill 14 (requirements to vote, including presenting proof of |
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identification; providing criminal penalties), to consider and |
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take action on the following matters: |
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(1) Senate Rule 12.03(1) is suspended to permit the |
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committee to change text not in disagreement in proposed SECTION 11 |
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of the bill, in added Section 63.0012(a), Election Code, to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) An election officer shall distribute written notice of |
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the identification that will be required for voting beginning with |
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elections held after January 1, 2012, and information on obtaining |
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identification without a fee under Chapter 521A, Transportation |
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Code, to each voter who, when offering to vote, presents a form of |
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identification that will not be sufficient for acceptance as a |
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voter under this chapter beginning with those elections. |
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Explanation: This change is necessary to update the |
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cross-reference to reflect the addition of Chapter 521A, |
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Transportation Code. |
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(2) Senate Rule 12.03(1) is suspended to permit the |
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committee to change text not in disagreement in proposed SECTION 14 |
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of the bill, in amended Section 63.0101(1), Election Code, to read |
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as follows: |
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(1) a driver's license, election identification |
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certificate, or personal identification card issued to the person |
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by the Department of Public Safety that has not [or a similar
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document issued to the person by an agency of another state,
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regardless of whether the license or card has] expired or that |
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expired no earlier than 60 days before the date of presentation; |
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Explanation: This change is necessary to update the list of |
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acceptable forms of identification to reflect the addition of |
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election identification certificates in Chapter 521A, |
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Transportation Code. |
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(3) Senate Rule 12.03(1) is suspended to permit the |
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committee to change text not in disagreement in proposed SECTION 17 |
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of the bill, in added Section 65.054(b)(2)(B), Election Code, to |
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read as follows: |
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(B) notwithstanding Chapter 110, Civil Practice |
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and Remedies Code, executes an affidavit under penalty of perjury |
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that states the voter has a religious objection to being |
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photographed and the voter has consistently refused to be |
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photographed for any governmental purpose from the time the voter |
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has held this belief; or |
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Explanation: This change is necessary to clarify the |
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religious objection exception to the requirement that a voter have |
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photo identification to vote. |
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(4) Senate Rule 12.03(1) is suspended to permit the |
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committee to change text not in disagreement in proposed SECTION 18 |
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of the bill, in added Section 65.0541(a), Election Code, to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) A voter who is accepted for provisional voting under |
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Section 63.011 because the voter does not meet the identification |
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requirements of Section 63.001(b) may, not later than the sixth day |
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after the date of the election: |
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(1) present a form of identification described by |
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Section 63.0101 to the voter registrar for examination; or |
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(2) execute an affidavit described by Section |
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65.054(b)(2)(B) or (C) in the presence of the voter registrar. |
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Explanation: This change is necessary to update the |
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cross-reference to reflect the addition of Section |
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65.054(b)(2)(C), Election Code. |
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(5) Senate Rule 12.03(4) is suspended to permit the |
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committee to add text on a matter not included in either version of |
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the bill by adding the following new SECTION to the bill: |
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SECTION 20. Subtitle B, Title 7, Transportation Code, is |
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amended by adding Chapter 521A to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 521A. ELECTION IDENTIFICATION CERTIFICATE |
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Sec. 521A.001. ELECTION IDENTIFICATION CERTIFICATE. (a) |
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The department shall issue an election identification certificate |
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to a person who states that the person is obtaining the certificate |
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for the purpose of satisfying Section 63.001(b), Election Code, and |
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does not have another form of identification described by Section |
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63.0101, Election Code, and: |
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(1) who is a registered voter in this state and |
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presents a valid voter registration certificate; or |
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(2) who is eligible for registration under Section |
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13.001, Election Code, and submits a registration application to |
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the department. |
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(b) The department may not collect a fee for an election |
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identification certificate or a duplicate election identification |
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certificate issued under this section. |
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(c) An election identification certificate may not be used |
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or accepted as a personal identification certificate. |
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(d) An election officer may not deny the holder of an |
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election identification certificate the ability to vote because the |
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holder has an election identification certificate rather than a |
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driver's license or personal identification certificate issued |
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under this subtitle. |
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(e) An election identification certificate must be similar |
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in form to, but distinguishable in color from, a driver's license |
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and a personal identification certificate. The department may |
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cooperate with the secretary of state in developing the form and |
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appearance of an election identification certificate. |
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(f) The department may require each applicant for an |
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original or renewal election identification certificate to furnish |
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to the department the information required by Section 521.142. |
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(g) The department may cancel and require surrender of an |
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election identification certificate after determining that the |
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holder was not entitled to the certificate or gave incorrect or |
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incomplete information in the application for the certificate. |
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(h) A certificate expires on a date specified by the |
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department, except that a certificate issued to a person 70 years of |
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age or older does not expire. |
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Explanation: This addition is necessary to provide election |
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identification certificates to certain voters without charge to |
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enable those voters to meet the photo identification requirements |
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for voting. |