BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2279

By: Schofield

Elections

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current state law, to be eligible to vote in an election in Texas, a person must be a U.S. citizen. The bill author has informed the committee that an individual summoned for jury duty may be excused from jury service upon executing a sworn statement affirming that they are not a U.S. citizen. However, the bill author has also informed the committee that, by executing such a statement, the individual effectively acknowledges their ineligibility to vote. H.B. 2279 seeks to require a voter registrar to cancel a voter's registration on receipt of a list of persons excused or disqualified from jury service because of citizenship status that includes the voter.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2279 amends the Election Code to require a county voter registrar to immediately cancel a voter's registration on receipt of a list from the secretary of state or from a court clerk of persons excused or disqualified from jury service because of citizenship status that includes the voter. The bill requires the registrar to deliver written notice of the cancellation to the voter immediately after, but not later than the 30th day after, the date the voter's registration is canceled and to include the number of such cancellations for the previous voting year among the information that must be provided to the secretary of state by the registrar before May 15 of each year.

H.B. 2279 amends the Government Code to include the county official responsible for administering elections among the officials to whom a court clerk is required to send, on the third business day of each month, a copy of the list of noncitizens excused or disqualified from jury service in the previous month. The bill includes an investigation of whether the person committed an illegal voting offense among the purposes for which the list is sent to an applicable county or district attorney.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.