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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the acceptance of a voter; creating an offense. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 63.006, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) After the voter is accepted, an election officer shall[:
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[(1)] indicate beside the voter's name on the poll list: |
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(1) that the voter was accepted under this section; |
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and |
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(2) the unique qualifying serial number provided by |
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the county clerk or the voter registrar confirming the voter is |
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currently registered [enter the voter's name on the registration
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omissions list]. |
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(c) The secretary of state shall adopt procedures for |
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issuing a serial number as required under Subsection (b). |
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SECTION 2. Section 63.012, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 63.012. UNLAWFULLY ACCEPTING OR REFUSING TO ACCEPT |
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VOTER. (a) An election officer commits an offense if the officer |
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knowingly: |
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(1) permits an ineligible voter to vote other than as |
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provided by Section 63.011; [or] |
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(2) refuses to accept a person for voting whose |
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acceptance is required by this code; or |
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(3) permits an ineligible person to vote under Section |
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63.006. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), an [An] offense |
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under this section is a Class B misdemeanor. |
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(c) If it is shown on the trial of an offense under |
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Subsection (a)(3) that the election officer has committed three or |
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more offenses under Subsection (a)(3), the offense is a state jail |
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felony. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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63.012, Election Code, applies only to an offense committed on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. An offense committed before |
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the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect at |
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the time of the offense, and the former law is continued in effect |
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for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense was |
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committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of |
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the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |