By: Bettencourt  S.B. No. 983
         (In the Senate - Filed March 5, 2015; March 10, 2015, read
  first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; May 6, 2015,
  reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
  following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 6, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 983 By:  Nelson
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to restrictions on the assessment of the fee charged for
  issuance of certain birth records.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 191.0046, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Subsections (e) and (f) to read as follows:
         (e)  It is the intent of the legislature to not impose a cost
  for obtaining certified records for the purpose of obtaining an
  election identification certificate issued pursuant to Chapter
  521A, Transportation Code. Notwithstanding any other law, the
  state registrar, a local registrar, or a county clerk shall not
  charge a fee to an applicant that is associated with searching for
  or providing a record, including a certified copy of a birth record,
  if the applicant states that the applicant is requesting the record
  for the purpose of obtaining an election identification certificate
  under Section 521A.001, Transportation Code.
         (f)  Notwithstanding Subsection (e), a local registrar or a
  county clerk who issues a birth record that is required for the
  purpose of obtaining an election identification certificate issued
  pursuant to Chapter 521A, Transportation Code, and is otherwise
  entitled by law to retain all or a portion of a fee for that birth
  record, is entitled to payment of the amount from the department.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to an
  application for a certified copy of a birth record filed on or after
  the effective date of this Act.  An application for a certified copy
  of a birth record filed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on that date, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
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