Bill Text: TX HB212 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to electronic voter registration.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-23 - Referred to Elections [HB212 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB212-Introduced.html
| By: Bucy | H.B. No. 212 | |
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| relating to electronic voter registration. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The | ||
| secretary of state shall work with the Department of Public Safety | ||
| and the Department of Information Resources to implement a program | ||
| to allow a person to complete a voter registration application over | ||
| the Internet from the official website of this state. The Internet | ||
| websites of the secretary of state and the Department of Public | ||
| Safety must also provide a link to the location of the application | ||
| on the official website of this state. | ||
| (b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has | ||
| an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card | ||
| issued in this state must: | ||
| (1) attest to the truth of the information provided on | ||
| the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature | ||
| on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card | ||
| for voter registration purposes. | ||
| (c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does | ||
| not have an unexpired driver's license or personal identification | ||
| card issued in this state must: | ||
| (1) attest to the truth of the information provided on | ||
| the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) print a registration application from the website | ||
| the applicant is using to register, sign the application, and mail | ||
| it to the registrar. | ||
| (d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b), | ||
| the program shall require that a digital copy of the applicant's | ||
| signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety. | ||
| (e) For each application submitted under Subsection (c), | ||
| the program shall provide the applicant with: | ||
| (1) a registration application that the applicant can | ||
| print from the registration website, sign, and mail to the | ||
| registrar as required under Subsection (c)(2); and | ||
| (2) information about how the applicant can obtain a | ||
| driver's license or personal identification card from the | ||
| Department of Public Safety. | ||
| (f) An application submitted under this section is | ||
| considered for all purposes an application submitted by mail under | ||
| this title. | ||
| (g) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to | ||
| implement this section, including rules to provide for additional | ||
| security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of | ||
| applications submitted electronically. | ||
| (h) The rules adopted under Subsection (g) must require | ||
| that: | ||
| (1) the Internet website through which a person may | ||
| complete a voter registration application include a description of | ||
| the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location | ||
| on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the | ||
| application; and | ||
| (2) the state electronic Internet portal project be | ||
| used to authenticate the identity and address of a person who | ||
| submits an application electronically under this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
