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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to aid provided to certain voters; providing a criminal |
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penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 86.0051, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (a-1) and (d-1) and amending Subsections (d) and |
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(e) to read as follows: |
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(a-1) A person commits an offense if the person deposits in |
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the mail or with a common or contract carrier more than two carrier |
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envelopes containing ballots voted by other persons in an election. |
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It is not a defense to an offense under this subsection that the |
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voter voluntarily gave another person possession of the voter's |
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carrier envelope. |
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(d) An offense under Subsection (a) or (c) [this section] is |
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a Class B misdemeanor, unless the person is convicted of an offense |
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under Section 64.036 for providing unlawful assistance to the same |
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voter in connection with the same ballot, in which event the offense |
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is a state jail felony. |
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(d-1) An offense under Subsection (a-1) is a state jail |
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felony. |
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(e) Subsections (a), (a-1), and (c) do not apply if the |
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person is related to the applicant within the second degree by |
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affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as determined under |
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Subchapter B, Chapter 573, Government Code, or is registered to |
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vote at the same address as the applicant. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |