BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2372

By: Klick

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that Texas does not have a system in place to prevent a person from being registered to vote in Texas and also in another state or jurisdiction, and these parties contend that other states have implemented such a system and found it to be successful in identifying such duplicate registrations. These parties reason that having an interstate collaboration in place in which the Texas secretary of state can work with other states and jurisdictions to help maintain registration lists would help prevent duplication of voter registrations across state lines and jurisdictional boundaries. H.B. 2372 seeks to establish such an interstate voter registration crosscheck system.

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

H.B. 2372 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state, in order to maintain the statewide voter registration list and to prevent duplication of registration in more than one state or jurisdiction, to cooperate with other states and jurisdictions to develop systems to compare voters, voter history, and voter registration lists to identify voters whose addresses have changed.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.