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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to establishing a pilot program for the production of a |
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paper receipt by electronic devices to accept voters. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 31, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 31.0141 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 31.0141. PRODUCTION OF PAPER RECEIPT BY ELECTRONIC |
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DEVICES TO ACCEPT VOTERS. (a) The secretary of state shall |
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establish a pilot program requiring a county to use an electronic |
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device to accept voters that: |
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(1) is certified under Section 31.014; and |
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(2) produces a paper receipt that provides a voter the |
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information necessary to verify the voter's participation in the |
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election is recorded accurately in the voter information databases |
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maintained by the county and the secretary of state. |
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(b) The secretary of state shall select to participate in |
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the program each county that is determined by the secretary of state |
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to have the appropriate technological capabilities. |
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(c) The secretary of state shall operate the pilot program |
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established under this section until January 1, 2026. |
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(d) Not later than September 1, 2026, the secretary of state |
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shall prepare and submit a report to the legislature and the |
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presiding officer of each legislative standing committee with |
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jurisdiction over elections that includes: |
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(1) which counties participated in the pilot program; |
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(2) the number of polling locations that used an |
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electronic device to accept voters that produced a paper receipt; |
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(3) any best practices for the use of electronic |
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devices to accept voters that produce a paper receipt; and |
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(4) any other information and recommendations |
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considered necessary by the secretary of state for statewide |
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implementation of the program. |
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(e) This section expires January 1, 2027. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2024, the secretary of |
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state shall establish the pilot program required by Section |
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31.0141, Election Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |