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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the appearance of a personal identification certificate |
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or driver's license issued to a person who is a citizen of the |
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United States and to the use of the certificate or license in |
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certain election processes in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 13.002(c), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(c) A registration application must include: |
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(1) the applicant's first name, middle name, if any, |
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last name, and former name, if any; |
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(2) the month, day, and year of the applicant's birth; |
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(3) a statement that the applicant is a United States |
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citizen; |
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(4) a statement that the applicant is a resident of the |
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county; |
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(5) a statement that the applicant has not been |
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determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate |
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jurisdiction to be: |
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(A) totally mentally incapacitated; or |
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(B) partially mentally incapacitated without the |
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right to vote; |
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(6) a statement that the applicant has not been |
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finally convicted of a felony or that the applicant is a felon |
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eligible for registration under Section 13.001; |
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(7) the applicant's residence address or, if the |
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residence has no address, the address at which the applicant |
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receives mail and a concise description of the location of the |
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applicant's residence; |
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(8) the following information: |
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(A) the number of a [applicant's] Texas driver's |
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license [number] or [the number of a] personal identification card |
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issued to the applicant by the Department of Public Safety and |
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displaying the "CERTIFIED TEXAN" designator; |
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(B) if the applicant has not been issued a number |
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described by Paragraph (A), the last four digits of the applicant's |
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social security number; or |
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(C) a statement by the applicant that the |
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applicant has not been issued a number described by Paragraph (A) or |
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(B); |
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(9) if the application is made by an agent, a statement |
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of the agent's relationship to the applicant; and |
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(10) the city and county in which the applicant |
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formerly resided. |
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SECTION 2. Section 13.072(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Unless the registrar challenges the applicant, the |
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registrar shall approve the application if: |
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(1) the registrar determines that an application |
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complies with Section 13.002 and indicates that the applicant is |
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eligible for registration; and |
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(2) for an applicant who has not included a statement |
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described by Section 13.002(c)(8)(C), the registrar verifies with |
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the secretary of state: |
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(A) that the [applicant's] Texas driver's license |
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number or number of a personal identification card provided by the |
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applicant corresponds to a license or card issued to the applicant |
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by the Department of Public Safety and displays the "CERTIFIED |
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TEXAN" designator; or |
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(B) the last four digits of the applicant's |
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social security number. |
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SECTION 3. Section 63.0101(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The following documentation is an acceptable form of |
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photo identification under this chapter: |
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(1) a driver's license, election identification |
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certificate, or personal identification card issued to the person |
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by the Department of Public Safety that: |
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(A) displays the "CERTIFIED TEXAN" designator; |
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and |
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(B) has not expired or that expired no earlier |
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than four years before the date of presentation; |
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(2) [a United States military identification card that |
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contains the person's photograph that has not expired or that |
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expired no earlier than four years before the date of presentation; |
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[(3)] a United States citizenship certificate issued |
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to the person that contains the person's photograph; |
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(3) [(4)] a United States passport book or card issued |
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to the person that has not expired or that expired no earlier than |
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four years before the date of presentation; or |
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(4) [(5)] a license to carry a handgun issued to the |
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person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or |
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that expired no earlier than four years before the date of |
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presentation. |
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SECTION 4. Section 84.002(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) An early voting ballot application must include: |
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(1) the applicant's name and the address at which the |
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applicant is registered to vote; |
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(1-a) the following information: |
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(A) the number of a [the applicant's] driver's |
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license or personal identification card issued to the applicant by |
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the Department of Public Safety and displaying the "CERTIFIED |
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TEXAN" designator or of an [,] election identification certificate |
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[, or personal identification card] issued to the applicant by the |
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Department of Public Safety; |
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(B) if the applicant has not been issued a number |
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described by Paragraph (A), the last four digits of the applicant's |
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social security number; or |
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(C) a statement by the applicant that the |
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applicant has not been issued a number described by Paragraph (A) or |
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(B); |
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(2) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
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on the ground of absence from the county of residence, the address |
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outside the applicant's county of residence to which the ballot is |
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to be mailed; |
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(3) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
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on the ground of age or disability, the address of the hospital, |
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nursing home or other long-term care facility, or retirement |
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center, or of a person related to the applicant within the second |
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degree by affinity or the third degree by consanguinity, as |
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determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, if the applicant is |
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living at that address and that address is different from the |
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address at which the applicant is registered to vote; |
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(4) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
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on the ground of confinement in jail, the address of the jail or of a |
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person related to the applicant within the degree described by |
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Subdivision (3); |
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(5) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
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on any ground, an indication of each election for which the |
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applicant is applying for a ballot; |
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(6) an indication of the ground of eligibility for |
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early voting; and |
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(7) for an application for a ballot to be voted by mail |
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on the ground of involuntary civil commitment, the address of the |
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facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Civil |
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Commitment Office or of a person related to the applicant within the |
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degree of consanguinity described by Subdivision (3). |
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SECTION 5. Subchapter E, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 521.1017 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 521.1017. CERTIFIED TEXAN DESIGNATOR. If, at the time |
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a person applies for a personal identification certificate, the |
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person provides a copy of a birth certificate issued for the person |
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within the United States, a Certificate of United States |
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Citizenship, a Certificate of Naturalization, a United States |
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Citizen Identification Card, or another document denoting the |
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person is a United States citizen issued by the federal Department |
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of Homeland Security or the United States Department of State that |
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includes an identification photograph, the personal identification |
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certificate issued to the person must display a large designator |
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with a stamp-like appearance reading "CERTIFIED TEXAN". |
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SECTION 6. Subchapter F, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, |
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is amended by adding Section 521.1225 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 521.1225. CERTIFIED TEXAN DESIGNATOR. If, at the time |
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a person applies for a driver's license, the person provides a copy |
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of a birth certificate issued for the person within the United |
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States, a Certificate of United States Citizenship, a Certificate |
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of Naturalization, a United States Citizen Identification Card, or |
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another document denoting the person is a United States citizen |
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issued by the federal Department of Homeland Security or the United |
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States Department of State that includes an identification |
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photograph, the driver's license issued to the person must display |
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a large designator with a stamp-like appearance reading "CERTIFIED |
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TEXAN". |
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SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections |
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13.002, 13.072, 63.0101, and 84.002, Election Code, and Subchapters |
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E and F, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, apply only to a personal |
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identification certificate or driver's license issued or renewed on |
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or after the effective date of this Act. A personal identification |
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certificate or driver's license issued or renewed before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the |
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certificate or license was issued or renewed, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |