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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the procedures for registering to vote. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 13.002, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (j) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c) A registration application must include: |
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(1) the applicant's first name, middle name, if any, |
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last name, and former name, if any; |
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(2) the month, day, and year of the applicant's birth; |
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(3) a statement that the applicant is a United States |
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citizen; |
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(4) a statement that the applicant is a resident of the |
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county; |
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(5) a statement that the applicant has not been |
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determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate |
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jurisdiction to be: |
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(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or |
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(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the |
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right to vote; |
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(6) a statement that the applicant has not been |
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finally convicted of a felony or that the applicant is a felon |
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eligible for registration under Section 13.001; |
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(7) the applicant's residence address or, if the |
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residence has no address, the address at which the applicant |
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receives mail and a concise description of the location of the |
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applicant's residence; |
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(8) the following information: |
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(A) the applicant's Texas driver's license number |
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or the number of a personal identification card issued by the |
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Department of Public Safety; |
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(B) if the applicant has not been issued a number |
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described by Paragraph (A), the last four digits of the applicant's |
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social security number; or |
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(C) a statement by the applicant that the |
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applicant has not been issued a number described by Paragraph (A) or |
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(B); |
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(9) if the application is made by an agent, a statement |
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of the agent's relationship to the applicant; [and] |
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(10) the city and county in which the applicant |
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formerly resided; and |
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(11) a certified copy of a document providing proof |
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that the applicant is a United States citizen. |
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(j) The following documentation is acceptable as proof of |
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citizenship under Subsection (c)(11): |
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(1) a birth certificate or other document confirming |
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birth as a citizen of the United States that is admissible in a |
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court of law; |
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(2) United States citizenship documents issued to the |
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applicant; |
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(3) a United States passport issued to the applicant; |
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(4) a Bureau of Indian Affairs card number, tribal |
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treaty number, or tribal enrollment number issued to the applicant; |
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or |
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(5) a United States military record of service |
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indicating the applicant's name and the applicant's place of birth |
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within the United States. |
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SECTION 2. Section 13.071(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The registrar shall review each submitted application |
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for registration to determine whether it complies with Section |
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13.002 and indicates that the applicant is a United States citizen |
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eligible for registration. |
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SECTION 3. Section 13.072(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Unless the registrar challenges the applicant, the |
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registrar shall approve the application if: |
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(1) the registrar determines that an application |
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complies with Section 13.002 and indicates that the applicant is a |
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United States citizen eligible for registration; and |
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(2) for an applicant who has not included a statement |
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described by Section 13.002(c)(8)(C), the registrar verifies with |
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the secretary of state: |
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(A) the applicant's Texas driver's license number |
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or number of a personal identification card issued by the |
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Department of Public Safety; or |
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(B) the last four digits of the applicant's |
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social security number. |
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SECTION 4. Section 13.121(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The officially prescribed application form for |
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registration by mail must be in the form of [a] business reply mail |
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[postcard], unless another form or system is used under Subsection |
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(b), with postage paid by the state. The secretary of state shall |
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design the form to enhance the legibility of its contents. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an application to register to vote submitted on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |