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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eligibility requirements for voting. |
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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 applicant's Texas driver's license number |
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or the number of a personal identification card issued 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) if the applicant has not been issued a number |
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described by Paragraph (A) or (B), a document listed under Section |
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63.0101(a) that confirms the applicant's citizenship status [a |
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statement by the applicant that the applicant has not been issued a |
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number described by Paragraph (A) or (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 13.122(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) In addition to the other statements and spaces for |
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entering information that appear on an officially prescribed |
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registration application form, each official form must include: |
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(1) the statement: "I understand that giving false |
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information to procure a voter registration is perjury and a crime |
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under state and federal law."; |
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(2) a space for the applicant's registration number; |
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(3) a space for the applicant's Texas driver's license |
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number or number of a personal identification card issued by the |
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Department of Public Safety; |
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(4) a space for the applicant's telephone number; |
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(5) a space for the applicant's social security |
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number; |
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(6) a space for the applicant's sex; |
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(7) a statement indicating that the furnishing of the |
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applicant's telephone number and sex is optional; |
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(8) a space or box for indicating whether the |
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applicant or voter is submitting new registration information or a |
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change in current registration information; |
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(9) a statement instructing a voter who is using the |
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form to make a change in current registration information to enter |
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the voter's name and the changed information in the appropriate |
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spaces on the form; |
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(10) a statement that if the applicant declines to |
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register to vote, that fact will remain confidential and will be |
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used only for voter registration purposes; |
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(11) a statement that if the applicant does register |
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to vote, information regarding the agency or office to which the |
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application is submitted will remain confidential and will be used |
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only for voter registration purposes; |
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(12) a space or box for indicating whether the |
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applicant is interested in working as an election judge; |
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(13) a statement listing the documents confirming |
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citizenship status an applicant must include if the applicant does |
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not have a Texas driver's license number or personal identification |
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card number issued by the Department of Public Safety, or a social |
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security number; |
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(14) a statement warning that a conviction for making |
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a false statement may result in imprisonment for up to the maximum |
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amount of time provided by law, a fine of up to the maximum amount |
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provided by law, or both the imprisonment and the fine; and |
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(15) [(14)] any other voter registration information |
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required by federal law or considered appropriate and required by |
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the secretary of state. |
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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) one of the following forms of identification |
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issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not |
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expired or that expired no earlier than one year before the date of |
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presentation: |
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(A) a driver's license, not including a driver's |
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license subject to Section 521.271(a-2), (a-3), or (a-4) or |
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521.2711(c), Transportation Code; |
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(B) an election identification certificate;[,] |
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or |
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(C) a personal identification card [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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(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 to |
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the person that contains the person's photograph; |
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(4) a United States passport book or card issued to the |
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person that has not expired or that expired no earlier than four |
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years before the date of presentation; or |
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(5) a license to carry a handgun issued to the person |
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by the Department of Public Safety 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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SECTION 4. Section 114.004, Election Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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(d) The federal postcard application must include: |
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(1) a photocopy of the applicant's unexpired, valid |
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United States passport or current, unexpired military |
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identification card; |
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(2) a photocopy of a lease, bank statement, utility |
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bill, or other document that shows the name and foreign address of |
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the applicant; and |
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(3) a signed affidavit that each of the statements in |
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the application are correct and true. |
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SECTION 5. Section 114.007, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (a-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The balloting materials provided under this chapter |
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must: |
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(1) [shall] be airmailed to the voter free of United |
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States postage, as provided by the federal Uniformed and Overseas |
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Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 [42] U.S.C. Section 20301 [1973ff] |
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et seq.), in an envelope labeled "Official Election Balloting |
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Material--via Airmail[.]"; or |
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(2) be provided via electronic transmission of an |
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image of the application under procedures prescribed by the |
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secretary of state. |
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(a-1) The secretary of state shall provide early voting |
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clerks with instructions on compliance with this section |
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[subsection]. |
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(c) A ballot voted under this chapter may be returned to the |
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early voting clerk by mail, common or contract carrier, or courier |
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and must include the material required under Section 114.004(d). |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |