By: Bettencourt  S.B. No. 1950
         (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2023; March 20, 2023, read
  first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  April 4, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 8,
  Nays 2; April 4, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to accepting an early voting ballot voted by mail;
  creating a criminal offense.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 87, Election Code, is
  amended by adding Section 87.0412 to read as follows:
         Sec. 87.0412.  SUSPENSION OF ACCEPTING VOTER REQUIREMENTS
  PROHIBITED. (a)  A county clerk, elections administrator, early
  voting clerk, or early voting ballot board may not suspend the
  requirements under Section 87.041(b).
         (b)  A county clerk, elections administrator, or early
  voting clerk who violates this section commits an offense. An
  offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.  
  An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,
  and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.  For
  purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
  effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
  before that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
  * * * * *