AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

H.B. 621 seeks to streamline the process of voting by giving greater authority to county voter registrars to terminate volunteer deputy voter registrars and verify unlisted voters.

 

The goal of H.B. 621 is to give the county voter registrar the ability to terminate volunteer deputy registrars who misrepresent their position. This is accomplished by allowing the voter registrar to dismiss a volunteer deputy registrar for being engaged in an "activity that the registrar considers a violation of the responsibilities of a volunteer deputy registrar under this chapter."

 

Currently, the only means to remove a volunteer deputy registrar from their appointment is through criminal conviction. Specifically this is done only when a person has a "final conviction for an offense for failure to deliver a registration application." Only once conviction has occurred can a voter registrar remove the volunteer deputy registrar from that position.

 

H.B. 621 amends current law relating to the termination of a volunteer deputy registrar appointment.

 

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 13.033(b), Election Code, as follows:

 

(b) Requires the registrar, if a person is to be appointed, to prepare a certificate of appointment in duplicate containing:

 

(1)-(5) Makes no change to these subdivisions;

 

(6) a statement that the appointment terminates on the person's final conviction for an offense for failure to deliver a registration application and may terminate on the registrar's determination that the person failed to adequately review a registration application, intentionally destroyed or physically altered a registration application, or engaged in any other activity that conflicts with the responsibilities of a volunteer deputy registrar under this chapter.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 13.036(b), Election Code, to authorize the registrar to terminate the appointment of a volunteer deputy registrar on a determination by the registrar that the volunteer deputy intentionally destroyed or  physically altered a registration application or engaged in any other activity that conflicts with the responsibilities of a volunteer deputy registrar under this chapter.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2015.