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Amend CSHB 1735 (house committee printing) as follows:
(1) On page 2, strike lines 6 through 8 and substitute the following:
"I swear (or affirm) that I will objectively work to be sure every eligible voter's vote is accepted and counted, and that only the ballots of those voters who violated the Texas Election Code will be rejected. I will make every effort to correctly reflect the voter's intent when it can be clearly determined. I will not work alone when ballots are present and will work only in the presence of a member of a political party different from my own. I will faithfully perform my duty as an officer of the election and guard the purity of the election."
(2) On page 3, strike lines 7 through 9 and substitute the following:
"I swear (or affirm) that I will objectively work to be sure every eligible voter's vote is accepted and counted, and that only the ballots of those voters who violated the Texas Election Code will be rejected. I will make every effort to correctly reflect the voter's intent when it can be clearly determined. I will not work alone when ballots are present and will work only in the presence of a member of a political party different from my own. I will faithfully perform my duty as an officer of the election and guard the purity of the election."
(3) Add the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to the bill and renumber the remaining SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:
SECTION ____. Chapter 1, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 1.016 to read as follows:
Sec. 1.016. OATHS BY ELECTION OFFICERS. (a) An oath or statement required by the Texas Constitution or this code prior to an election officer entering service may be administered and a certificate of the fact given by:
(1) the secretary of state, a member of the secretary of state's staff, or a state inspector appointed by the secretary;
(2) a county or municipal clerk or the clerk's deputies;
(3) a county tax assessor-collector or the county tax assessor-collector's deputies;
(4) a city secretary;
(5) a member of a county election commission or county election board;
(6) a county elections administrator or employee of a county elections administrator;
(7) the secretary of the governing body of a political subdivision other than a county or city or the authority performing the duties of a secretary under this code;
(8) a presiding election judge or alternate presiding judge who has already entered service;
(9) an early voting clerk or a deputy early voting clerk who has already entered service;
(10) a member of an early voting ballot board or signature verification committee who has already entered service; or
(11) a presiding judge, manager, or tabulation supervisor of a central counting station who has already entered service.
(b) An oath, statement, or certificate described under Subsection (a) is valid for the duration of the election officer's term of office and shall be filed with election records for the election in which the election officer is serving.
(c) The secretary of state may prescribe a form of oath, statement, or certificate that incorporates any oaths or statements required by the Texas Constitution or this code for an election officer into a single oath or statement.
SECTION ____. Section 127.004(b), Election Code, is amended to read as follows:
(b) To be eligible for appointment, a person must:
(1) have the competence, training, and experience required for the proper performance of the work assigned; and
(2) in a county with a population of less than 60,000, be a registered voter of the political subdivision served by the authority establishing the counting station or an employee of the political subdivision that adopts or owns the voting system.
SECTION ____. Section 127.007, Election Code, is amended by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
(c) The plan required under this section must be available to the public on request not later than 5 p.m. on the fifth day before the date of the election.