By: Murphy, et al. H.B. No. 1096
        (Senate Sponsor - Bettencourt)
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 11, 2015;
  May 11, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 19, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 7, Nays 2; May 19, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
 
  COMMITTEE VOTE
 
 
         YeaNayAbsentPNV
         HuffmanX
         EllisX
         BirdwellX
         CreightonX
         EstesX
         FraserX
         NelsonX
         SchwertnerX
         ZaffiriniX
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the residence address of a person for purposes of a
  response to a confirmation notice sent by the registrar.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 15.052(b), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The official confirmation notice response form must:
               (1)  provide spaces for the voter to include all of the
  information that a person must include in an application to
  register to vote under Section 13.002; [and]
               (2)  describe the requirements of Section 15.054,
  provide a space for the voter to indicate if the voter is exempt
  from those requirements, and provide a space to indicate the reason
  for an exemption, if any; and
               (3)  be postage prepaid and preaddressed for delivery
  to the registrar.
         SECTION 2.  Section 15.053(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Not later than the 30th day after the date a
  confirmation notice is mailed, the voter shall submit to the
  registrar a written, signed response to the notice that confirms
  the voter's current residence. The response must contain:
               (1)  all of the information that a person must include
  in an application to register to vote under Section 13.002; and
               (2)  evidence that the voter's residence address is
  established in compliance with Section 15.054 or an indication that
  the voter is exempt from those requirements.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter C, Chapter 15, Election Code, is
  amended by adding Section 15.054 to read as follows:
         Sec. 15.054.  RESIDENCE FOR PURPOSES OF CONFIRMATION NOTICE
  RESPONSE.  (a)  For purposes of Section 15.053, a person's residence
  is established at the first residence address, beginning with
  Subdivision (1) and continuing through Subdivision (6), in the
  following list that is applicable to the person:
               (1)  the address stated on a driver's license issued to
  the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired
  or, if the person has notified the department of a change of address
  under Section 521.054, Transportation Code, the new address
  contained in the notification;
               (2)  the address stated on a personal identification
  card issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety that
  has not expired or, if the person has notified the department of a
  change of address under Section 521.054, Transportation Code, the
  new address contained in the notification;
               (3)  the address stated on a license to carry a
  concealed handgun issued to the person by the Department of Public
  Safety that has not expired or, if the person has notified the
  department of a change of address under Section 411.181, Government
  Code, the new address contained in the notification;
               (4)  an address corresponding to a residence at which
  the person receives mail;
               (5)  the address the person claims as a homestead in
  this state; or
               (6)  the registration address of a vehicle the person
  owns.
         (b)  A person whose residence in this state has no address
  may establish residence under this section by executing an
  affidavit stating that the person's residence in this state has no
  address, providing a concise description of the location of the
  person's residence, and delivering the affidavit to the registrar
  with the person's response to the confirmation notice.
         (c)  The address described by Subsection (a)(4) may not be a
  commercial post office box or similar location that does not
  correspond to a residence.
         (d)  This section does not apply to:
               (1)  a person who is a member of the armed forces of the
  United States or the spouse or a dependent of a member;
               (2)  a person enrolled as a full-time student at an
  institution of higher education;
               (3)  a person whose address is confidential under
  Subchapter C, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure;
               (4)  a federal judge, state judge, or spouse of a
  federal or state judge whose driver's license includes the street
  address of a courthouse under Section 521.121, Transportation Code;
  or
               (5)  a peace officer whose driver's license omits the
  officer's actual residence address under Section 521.1211,
  Transportation Code.
         (e)  Subsection (a)(1) does not apply to a person who holds a
  commercial driver's license under Subchapter C, Chapter 522,
  Transportation Code.
         (f)  The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to
  implement this section.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
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