By: Hughes S.B. No. 1235
 
 
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to verification of the accuracy of voter registration
  applications and voter registration lists.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 18.068, Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 18.068.  COMPARISON OF INFORMATION REGARDING
  INELIGIBILITY. (a) The secretary of state shall quarterly compare
  the information received under Section 16.001 of this code and
  Section 62.113, Government Code, to the statewide computerized
  voter registration list.
         (a-1)  The secretary of state shall enter into an agreement
  with the Department of Public Safety under which information in the
  statewide computerized voter registration list is compared against
  information in the database of the Department of Public Safety on a
  monthly basis to verify the accuracy of information provided on
  voter registration applications. The information compared must
  include, at a minimum, a voter's:
               (1)  full legal name;
               (2)  former name, if applicable;
               (3)  date of birth;
               (4)  residence address;
               (5)  driver's license or state identification card
  number;
               (6)  signature;
               (7)  social security number;
               (8)  documentation of lawful presence in this state;
  and
               (9)  citizenship status.
         (a-2)  If the secretary determines from information received
  under Subsection (a) or (a-1) that a voter on the registration list
  may be ineligible to vote [is deceased or has been excused or
  disqualified from jury service because the voter is not a citizen],
  the secretary shall send notice of the determination to the voter
  registrar of the counties considered appropriate by the secretary.
         (b)  The secretary of state shall by rule determine what
  information combinations identified as common to a voter and to an
  individual who is deceased or ineligible to vote constitute a weak
  match or a strong match in order to:
               (1)  produce the least possible impact on Texas voters;
  and
               (2)  fulfill its responsibility to manage the voter
  rolls.
         (c)  The secretary of state may not determine that a voter is
  deceased or ineligible to vote based on a weak match.  The
  secretary of state may inform the county of the voter's residence
  that a weak match exists.
         (d)  On receiving notification from the secretary of state
  under Subsection (c) that a weak match of identifying information
  exists for a county voter and an individual who is deceased or
  ineligible to vote, the county shall investigate whether the voter
  is that [the] individual [who is deceased].
         (e)  The secretary of state may determine that a voter is
  deceased or ineligible to vote based on a strong match.
         (f)  The secretary of state may obtain, for purposes of
  determining whether a voter is deceased or ineligible to vote,
  information from other state agency databases relating to a voter
  that is the same type of information that the secretary of state or
  a voter registrar collects or stores for voter registration
  purposes.
         (g)  Not later than December 31 of each year, the secretary
  of state shall provide a report to the legislature of the number of
  voters determined to be ineligible under this section during the
  calendar year. The report must include the reason for
  ineligibility for each voter.
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  an application to register to vote submitted on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.