BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 155
87R1366 TSS-D	By: Perry
	State Affairs
	3/3/2021
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Currently, if the Secretary of State determines that a voter on the registration list is deceased or has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen, the Secretary of State shall send notice of the determination to the voter registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the Secretary of State.

 

This bill would amend Chapter 18, Elections Code, to include a voter who is not a resident of the county in which the voter is registered to vote on the notice. Furthermore, the Election Code is amended to require the Attorney General of Texas to review the lists of noncitizens and nonresidents quarterly. 

 

This bill would also amend Chapter 62, Government Code, to require county clerks to also send the list of noncitizens and nonresidents to the voter registrar of the county, the Secretary of State, and the county or district attorney, as applicable, or the Attorney General for an investigation.

 

As proposed, S.B. 155 amends current law relating to the use of information from the lists of noncitizens and nonresidents excused or disqualified from jury service.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 18.068(a), Election Code, as follows:

 

(a) Provides that certain information received by the secretary of state includes information received under Section 62.114 (Compilation of List of Nonresidents), Government Code, against which the secretary of state regularly compares the statewide computerized voter registration list. Requires the secretary of state, if the secretary of state determines that a voter on the registration list is deceased or has been excused or disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen or a resident of the county in which the voter is registered to vote, to send notice of the determination to:

 

(1) creates this subdivision from existing text and makes a nonsubstantive change; and

 

(2) the attorney general, who is required to quarterly review the information to investigate whether a person has committed an offense under Section 13.007 (False Statement on Application) or other law.

 

SECTION 2. Amends Section 62.113(b), Government Code, to include the attorney general among those to whom the clerk of a court must send a list of persons excused or disqualified from jury service because of citizenship in the previous month.

 

SECTION 3. Amends Sections 62.114(b) and (c), Government Code, as follows:

 

(b) Includes among those to whom the clerk of the court must send the list of persons excused or disqualified from jury service in the previous month because the persons do not reside in the county the voter registrar of the county, the secretary of state, and the county or district attorney, as applicable, or the attorney general for an investigation of whether the person committed an offense under Section 13.007, Election Code, or other law.

 

(c) Prohibits a list compiled under this section from being used for a purpose other than certain purposes, including a purpose described by Section 18.068 (Comparison of Information Regarding Ineligibility), Election Code.

 

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.