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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

H.B. 521

By: Schofield

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Interested parties contend that it would save the state time and money if the voter registration of an individual who did not qualify for jury service because of citizenship status were immediately canceled on receipt of notice regarding such disqualification. H.B. 521 seeks to achieve these efficiencies by requiring a county voter registrar to immediately cancel an individual's voter registration on receipt of certain information relating to the individual's citizenship status.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

H.B. 521 amends the Election Code to require a county voter registrar to immediately cancel a voter's registration on receipt of a list from the secretary of state or from a court clerk of persons excused or disqualified from jury service because of citizenship status that includes the voter or on receipt of other notice from any governmental agency that the voter has acknowledged that the voter is not a citizen of the United States. The bill repeals a provision providing for the cancellation of a voter's registration based on the failure of a voter so excused or disqualified to submit proof of citizenship to a registrar by a certain deadline.

 

H.B. 521 amends the Government Code, for purposes of the requirement that a court clerk on the third business day of each month send a copy of the list of persons so excused or disqualified in the previous month to certain officials, to include among those officials the county official responsible for administering elections. The bill adds an investigation of whether the person committed an illegal voting offense as a purpose for which the list is sent to an applicable county or district attorney.

 

H.B. 521 repeals Section 16.0332, Election Code.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2017.