AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

S.B. 722 amends Section 61.033 (Eligibility to Serve as Interpreter) of the Election Code to allow certain people to serve as an interpreter at a voter's choosing or by appointment by the authority ordering the election.

 

S.B. 722 amends current law relating to eligibility to serve as an interpreter in an election.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 61.032, Election Code, to authorize a voter to communicate through an interpreter selected by the voter or by the authority ordering the election if an election officer who attempts to communicate with the voter does not understand the language used by the voter.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 61.033, Election Code, as follows:

 

Sec. 61.033.  ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE AS INTERPRETER.  Provides that to be eligible to serve as an interpreter, a person:

 

(1) if selected by the voter, is authorized to be any person other than the voter's employer, an agent of the voter's employer, or an officer or agent of a labor union to which the voter belongs; or

 

(2) if appointed to serve as an interpreter by the authority ordering the election, is required to be a registered voter of the county in which the voter needing the interpreter resides or a registered voter of an adjacent county.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2013.