BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 795

By: Perry

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 in addition to another state or jurisdiction. 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. S.B. 795 seeks to establish such an interstate voter registration cross-check system.

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

S.B. 795 amends the Election Code to require the secretary of state, for purposes of maintaining the statewide voter registration list and preventing 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. The bill requires such a system to comply with the federal National Voter Registration Act.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2015.