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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to automatic update of voter registration on issuance or |
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change of a driver's license or identification card by the |
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Department of Public Safety. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 13.0021, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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(c) A federal judge or state judge or the spouse of a federal |
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judge or state judge for whom voter registration is updated under |
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Section 13.009 and who seeks to have a residence address omitted |
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from the registration list shall submit an affidavit to the voter |
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registrar stating that the individual is a federal judge or state |
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judge or the spouse of a federal judge or state judge. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 13.009. UPDATE OF VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH |
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DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. (a) The secretary of state shall |
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update the statewide voter registration list and notify the |
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appropriate voter registrar of a change in registration information |
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for any individual who is a registered voter and: |
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(1) is issued a Texas driver's license or a personal |
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identification card by the Department of Public Safety; or |
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(2) makes a change to a Texas driver's license or |
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personal identification card issued by the Department of Public |
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Safety. |
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(b) A driver's license or personal identification card |
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transaction with an indication provided by Section 20.062(b) or |
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20.063(c) that the transaction is not for voter registration |
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purposes is not subject to this section. |
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SECTION 3. Section 18.061(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) Under procedures prescribed by the secretary of state, |
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the Department of Public Safety and each voter registrar shall |
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provide to the secretary of state on an expedited basis the |
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information necessary to maintain the registration list |
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established under Subsection (a). The procedures shall provide for |
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the electronic submission of the information. |
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SECTION 4. Section 20.061, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 20.061. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER PROVISIONS. The other |
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provisions of this chapter apply to the Department of Public Safety |
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except provisions that conflict with this subchapter or Section |
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13.009. |
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SECTION 5. Section 20.062(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The department shall prescribe and use a change of |
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address form and procedure that combines department and voter |
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registration functions. The form must allow a licensee or |
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cardholder to indicate that [whether] the change of address is not |
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[also to be used] for voter registration purposes. |
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SECTION 6. Section 20.063(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) A change of address that relates to a license or card and |
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that is submitted to the department in person, [or] by mail, or |
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online at the department's Internet website serves as a change of |
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address for voter registration unless the licensee or cardholder |
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indicates that the change is not for voter registration purposes. |
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The date of submission of a change of address to a department |
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employee is considered to be the date of submission to the voter |
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registrar for the purpose of determining the effective date of |
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registration [only]. |
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SECTION 7. Section 20.065(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) Each weekday the department is regularly open for |
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business, the department shall electronically transfer to the |
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secretary of state the name and information designated by the |
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secretary of state for [of] each individual [person] who completes |
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a voter registration application submitted to the department and |
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for each individual who is a registered voter and applies in person, |
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by mail, or online at the department's Internet website for an |
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original or renewal of a driver's license, a personal |
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identification card, or a duplicate or corrected license or card. |
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The secretary shall prescribe procedures necessary to implement |
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this subsection. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |