85R7906 SRS-D

By: Thompson of Harris H.B. No. 1307

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to qualifications and registration of certain voters on probation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 11.002(a), Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) In this code, "qualified voter" means a person who:

(1) is 18 years of age or older;

(2) is a United States citizen;

(3) has not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:

(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or

(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;

(4) has not been finally convicted of a felony or, if so convicted, has:

(A) completed [fully discharged the person's sentence, including] any term of incarceration[, parole,] or community supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by any court;

(B) served at least 10 consecutive years of parole or mandatory supervision; or

(C) [(B)] been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote;

(5) is a resident of this state; and

(6) is a registered voter.

SECTION 2. Section 13.001(a), Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) To be eligible for registration as a voter in this state, a person must:

(1) be 18 years of age or older;

(2) be a United States citizen;

(3) not have been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be:

(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or

(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote;

(4) not have been finally convicted of a felony or, if so convicted, must have:

(A) completed [fully discharged the person's sentence, including] any term of incarceration[, parole,] or community supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by any court;

(B) served at least 10 consecutive years of parole or mandatory supervision; or

(C) [(B)] been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disability to vote; and

(5) be a resident of the county in which application for registration is made.

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, 2017.