BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2937

By: Schofield

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties observe that a voter registrar may cancel a voter registration immediately for a variety of reasons, but the parties have expressed concern that a person being excused or disqualified from jury service because the person is not a citizen of the United States is not one of those reasons. H.B. 2937 seeks to address this issue. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 2937 amends the Election Code to add to the items that, when received by a voter registrar, trigger the requirement that the registrar immediately cancel a voter's registration a list from the secretary of state or the clerk of a court, as applicable under certain statutory provisions, of persons excused or disqualified from jury service because of citizenship status that includes the voter or notice from any governmental agency that the voter has acknowledged that the voter is not a citizen of the United States.

H.B. 2937 amends the Government Code to include the county official responsible for administering elections among the persons to whom the clerk of a court is required to send, on the third business day of each month, a copy of the list of persons excused or disqualified because of citizenship in the previous month. The bill specifically includes an investigation of whether a person on the list committed an illegal voting offense among the purposes for which the clerk of the court is required to send a copy of such list to the county or district attorney.

H.B. 2937 repeals Section 16.0332, Election Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.