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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the voter registration powers of volunteer deputy |
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registrars. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 13.032, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 13.032. PROHIBITION ON REFUSING TO APPOINT. A |
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registrar may not refuse to appoint as a volunteer deputy |
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registrar: |
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(1) a person eligible for appointment under Section |
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13.031(d); [or] |
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(2) any person on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, |
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or national origin or ancestry; or |
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(3) an otherwise eligible person that distributes |
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voter registration application forms provided by the secretary of |
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state under Section 13.002 in accordance with any procedures |
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prescribed under Section 13.038(b). |
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SECTION 2. Section 13.033(b), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) If a person is to be appointed, the registrar shall |
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prepare a certificate of appointment in duplicate containing: |
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(1) the date of appointment; |
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(2) the statement: "I, ____________, Voter Registrar |
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for ____________ County, do hereby appoint ____________ as a |
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volunteer deputy registrar [for ____________ County]."; |
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(3) the person's residence address; |
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(4) the person's voter registration number, if any; |
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(5) a statement that the term of the appointment |
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expires December 31 of an even-numbered year; and |
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(6) a statement that the appointment terminates on the |
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person's final conviction for an offense for failure to deliver a |
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registration application and may terminate on the registrar's |
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determination that the person failed to adequately review a |
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registration application, intentionally destroyed or physically |
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altered a registration application, or engaged in any other |
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activity that conflicts with the responsibilities of a volunteer |
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deputy registrar under this chapter. |
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SECTION 3. Section 13.037(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A person may not receive compensation from any [the] |
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county for service as a volunteer deputy registrar unless |
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compensation is authorized by the commissioners court of that |
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county. |
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SECTION 4. Section 13.038, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 13.038. POWERS GENERALLY. (a) A volunteer deputy |
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registrar may distribute voter registration application forms |
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throughout the county in which the deputy was appointed and receive |
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registration applications submitted to the deputy in person. |
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(b) A volunteer deputy registrar may serve as a volunteer |
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deputy registrar throughout this state regardless of the county in |
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which the deputy was appointed. A volunteer deputy registrar may |
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distribute a voter registration application in the form prescribed |
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by the secretary of state under Section 31.002 throughout this |
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state and receive an application in that form submitted to the |
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deputy in person, regardless of the county in which the application |
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was printed. The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to |
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implement this subsection. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |