Amend HB 2909 (senate committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS accordingly:

SECTION ____.  Section 61.032, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 61.032.  INTERPRETER PERMITTED. If an election officer who attempts to communicate with a voter does not understand the language used by the voter, the voter may communicate through an interpreter selected by the voter or, if the voter has not selected an interpreter, any interpreter an election officer may appoint.

SECTION ____.  Section 61.033, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 61.033.  ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE AS INTERPRETER. To be eligible to serve as an interpreter, a person:

(B)  must be a registered voter of the county in which the voter needing the interpreter resides or a registered voter of an adjacent county.

SECTION ____.  Section 61.034, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 61.034.  TRANSLATING BALLOT. If a voter cannot comprehend the language in which the ballot is printed, the voter may receive assistance in accordance with Subchapter B, Chapter 64 [an interpreter may accompany the voter to the voting station for the purpose of translating the ballot to the voter].

SECTION ____.  Section 61.035, Election Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 61.035.  OATH. (a)  Before serving as an interpreter, the person selected as interpreter must take the following oath administered by an election officer:

"I swear (or affirm) that, to the best of my ability, I will correctly interpret and translate each question, answer, or statement addressed either to the voter by any election officer or to an election officer by the voter."