88R21642 PRL-D
 
  By: Garcia H.B. No. 2979
 
  Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2979:
 
  By:  Wilson C.S.H.B. No. 2979
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to an indication on a voter's voter registration
  certificate that a voter is a veteran.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 13.122(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  In addition to the other statements and spaces for
  entering information that appear on an officially prescribed
  registration application form, each official form must include:
               (1)  the statement: "I understand that giving false
  information to procure a voter registration is perjury and a crime
  under state and federal law.";
               (2)  a space for the applicant's registration number;
               (3)  a space for the applicant's Texas driver's license
  number or number of a personal identification card issued by the
  Department of Public Safety;
               (4)  a space for the applicant's telephone number;
               (5)  a space for the applicant's social security
  number;
               (6)  a space for the applicant's sex;
               (7)  a statement indicating that the furnishing of the
  applicant's telephone number and sex is optional;
               (8)  a space or box for indicating whether the
  applicant or voter is submitting new registration information or a
  change in current registration information;
               (9)  a statement instructing a voter who is using the
  form to make a change in current registration information to enter
  the voter's name and the changed information in the appropriate
  spaces on the form;
               (10)  a statement that if the applicant declines to
  register to vote, that fact will remain confidential and will be
  used only for voter registration purposes;
               (11)  a statement that if the applicant does register
  to vote, information regarding the agency or office to which the
  application is submitted will remain confidential and will be used
  only for voter registration purposes;
               (12)  a space or box for indicating whether the
  applicant is interested in working as an election judge;
               (13)  a statement warning that a conviction for making
  a false statement may result in imprisonment for up to the maximum
  amount of time provided by law, a fine of up to the maximum amount
  provided by law, or both the imprisonment and the fine; [and]
               (14)  a space or box for indicating whether the
  applicant served in the United States armed forces, including their
  reserve components, an auxiliary service of one of the branches of
  the armed forces, or the state military forces, and a statement
  acknowledging that this information is publicly available
  information; and
               (15) [(14)]  any other voter registration information
  required by federal law or considered appropriate and required by
  the secretary of state.
         SECTION 2.  Section 15.001(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Each voter registration certificate issued must
  contain:
               (1)  the voter's name in the form indicated by the
  voter, subject to applicable requirements prescribed by Section
  13.002 and by rule of the secretary of state;
               (2)  the voter's residence address or, if the residence
  has no address, the address at which the voter receives mail and a
  concise description of the location of the voter's residence;
               (3)  the year of the voter's birth;
               (4)  the number of the county election precinct in
  which the voter resides;
               (5)  the voter's effective date of registration if an
  initial certificate;
               (6)  the voter's registration number;
               (7)  an indication of the period for which the
  certificate is issued;
               (8)  a statement explaining the circumstances under
  which the voter will receive a new certificate;
               (9)  a space for stamping the voter's political party
  affiliation;
               (10)  a statement that voting with the certificate by a
  person other than the person in whose name the certificate is issued
  is a felony;
               (11)  a space for the voter's signature;
               (12)  a statement that the voter must sign the
  certificate personally, if able to sign, immediately on receipt;
               (13)  a space for the voter to correct the information
  on the certificate followed by a signature line;
               (14)  the statement: "If any information on this
  certificate changes or is incorrect, correct the information in the
  space provided, sign below, and return this certificate to the
  voter registrar.";
               (15)  the registrar's mailing address and telephone
  number; [and]
               (16)  the jurisdictional or distinguishing number for
  the following territorial units in which the voter resides, as
  determined by the voter registrar:
                     (A)  congressional district;
                     (B)  state senatorial district;
                     (C)  state representative district;
                     (D)  commissioners precinct;
                     (E)  justice precinct;
                     (F)  city election precinct; and
                     (G)  school district election precinct; and
               (17)  an indication that the voter is a "veteran," if
  the voter stated on the voter's registration application that the
  voter served in the United States armed forces, including their
  reserve components, an auxiliary service of one of the branches of
  the armed forces, or the state military forces.
         SECTION 3.  Section 18.005(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Each original and supplemental list of registered
  voters must:
               (1)  contain the voter's name, date of birth, and
  registration number as provided by the statewide computerized voter
  registration list;
               (2)  contain the voter's residence address, except as
  provided by Subsections (b) and (c);
               (3)  be arranged alphabetically by voter name; [and]
               (4)  contain the notation required by Section 15.111;
  and
               (5)  contain an indication that the voter is a
  "veteran," if the voter stated on the voter's registration
  application that the voter served in the United States armed
  forces, including their reserve components, an auxiliary service of
  one of the branches of the armed forces, or the state military
  forces.
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
  13.122(a), Election Code, applies only to a voter registration
  application distributed on or after September 1, 2023. A voter
  registration application distributed before September 1, 2023, is
  covered by the law in effect when the application was distributed,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.