By: Swanson, et al. H.B. No. 1217
        (Senate Sponsor - Kolkhorst, et al.)
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2023;
  May 9, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on State
  Affairs; May 16, 2023, reported adversely, with favorable
  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0;
  May 16, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1217 By:  Hughes
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the administration of and procedures relating to early
  voting by personal appearance.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 19.004(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), state funds
  disbursed under this chapter may be used only to:
               (1)  defray expenses of the registrar's office in
  connection with voter registration, including additional expenses
  related to:
                     (A) [(1)]  implementation of the National Voter
  Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. Section 20501 et seq.) [(42
  U.S.C. Section 1973gg et seq.)];
                     (B) [(2)]  complying with [the] weekly updating
  requirements [prescribed by Section 18.063]; and
                     (C) [(3)]  the employment of temporary voter
  registration personnel for not more than 39 weeks in a state fiscal
  year; and
               (2)  if the registrar's county has a population of less
  than 55,000, defray the cost to the registrar's county of keeping
  the polling places in the county open during the early voting period
  as required under Sections 85.005(c), 85.006(e), and 85.064(d).
         SECTION 2.  Section 85.005(c), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  Voting [In a county with a population of 55,000 or more,
  the voting] in a primary election or the general election for state
  and county officers shall be conducted at the main early voting
  polling place for at least 12 consecutive hours on each weekday of
  the last week of the early voting period, and the voting in a
  special election ordered by the governor shall be conducted at the
  main early voting polling place for at least 12 consecutive hours on
  each of the last two days of the early voting period.  Voting under
  this subsection may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later
  than 10 p.m.  [Voting shall be conducted in accordance with this
  subsection in those elections in a county with a population under
  55,000 on receipt by the early voting clerk of a written request for
  the extended hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters of the
  county.  The request must be submitted in time to enable compliance
  with Section 85.067.]
         SECTION 3.  Section 85.006(e), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (e)  In a primary election or the general election for state
  and county officers [in a county with a population of 55,000 or
  more], the early voting clerk shall order voting by personal
  appearance at the main early voting polling place to be conducted on
  the last Saturday of the early voting period for at least 12 hours,
  except that voting may not be conducted earlier than 6 a.m. or later
  than 10 p.m., and on the last Sunday of the early voting period for
  at least six hours, except that voting may not be conducted earlier
  than 9 a.m. or later than 10 p.m.  [The early voting clerk shall
  order voting to be conducted at those times in those elections in a
  county with a population under 55,000 on receipt of a written
  request for those hours submitted by at least 15 registered voters
  of the county.  The request must be submitted in time to enable
  compliance with Section 85.007.]  This subsection supersedes any
  provision of this subchapter to the extent of any conflict.
         SECTION 4.  The heading to Section 85.064, Election Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 85.064.  DAYS AND HOURS FOR VOTING: TEMPORARY BRANCH
  [IN POPULOUS COUNTY].
         SECTION 5.  Section 85.064(d), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  The authority authorized under Section 85.006 to order
  early voting on a Saturday or Sunday may also order, in the manner
  prescribed by that section, early voting to be conducted on a
  Saturday or Sunday at any one or more of the temporary branch
  polling places.  In addition, the early voting clerk [of a county
  covered by Section 85.006(e)] shall order such voting in accordance
  with Section 85.006(e) [that subsection] at each temporary branch
  polling place established under Section 85.062(d).
         SECTION 6.  Section 85.068(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The early voting clerk shall post notice for each
  election stating any dates and the hours that voting on Saturday or
  Sunday will be conducted under Section 85.064(d) [or 85.065(b)], if
  the early voting clerk is a county clerk or city secretary under
  Section 83.002 or 83.005.
         SECTION 7.  The following provisions of the Election Code
  are repealed:
               (1)  Section 85.064(a); and
               (2)  Section 85.065.
         SECTION 8.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  an election for which early voting begins on or after the effective
  date of this Act.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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