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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a voter educator program for high school seniors. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Educating Voters of |
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Tomorrow (E-VOT) Act. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 31.015 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 31.015. VOTER EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL |
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SENIORS. (a) The secretary of state, in consultation with the |
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commissioner of education, shall develop a nonpartisan voter |
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education program designed to be presented to high school seniors. |
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(b) The voter education program developed under Subsection |
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(a) must: |
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(1) provide information concerning: |
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(A) the importance of voting; |
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(B) the manner in which a person may register to |
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vote in this state; |
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(C) the manner in which a person may vote using |
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the voting systems most commonly used in this state; |
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(D) election dates, as provided under Chapter 41; |
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(E) the hours polls are open; |
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(F) voting before the date of an election; and |
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(G) how to learn the correct voting location; and |
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(2) provide an opportunity, during the period in which |
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the program is being presented, for students to complete voter |
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registration application forms. |
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(c) Once each year, at the request of an administrator of a |
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public or private high school, the county clerk or county elections |
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administrator, as applicable, for the county in which the school is |
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located, or the clerk's or administrator's designee, may present |
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the program to high school seniors at the school. The program must |
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be presented at school during regular school hours. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |