Bill Text: TX HB4781 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to promoting voter registration and voting participation in rural counties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-04-13 - Withdrawn from schedule [HB4781 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4781-Introduced.html
| 88R13402 PRL-F | ||
| By: Morales of Maverick | H.B. No. 4781 | |
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| relating to promoting voter registration and voting participation | ||
| in rural counties. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 18, Election Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter D to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER D. RURAL VOTER REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION | ||
| Sec. 18.081. APPLICATION. This subchapter applies only to | ||
| a voter registrar in a county with a population of 250,000 or less | ||
| according to the most recent decennial census. | ||
| Sec. 18.082. RURAL VOTER REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION. | ||
| (a) Notwithstanding Section 19.004, each voter registrar may use | ||
| state funds disbursed under this subchapter or Chapter 19 to | ||
| promote voter registration or voting participation in a county. | ||
| (b) A voter registrar may promote: | ||
| (1) voter registration, by identifying persons | ||
| eligible for registration and encouraging the identified persons to | ||
| register to vote; and | ||
| (2) voting participation, by encouraging registered | ||
| voters to vote and providing to registered voters: | ||
| (A) election information, including voting dates | ||
| and polling place locations; and | ||
| (B) transportation to and from polling place | ||
| locations during the voting period. | ||
| (c) A voter registrar that promotes voter registration or | ||
| voting participation under Subsection (b)(1) or (2) may not: | ||
| (1) promote any particular party, candidate, or group | ||
| of candidates; or | ||
| (2) target the voter registrar's efforts toward | ||
| individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex. | ||
| (d) A voter registrar may contract with a nonprofit | ||
| organization to carry out the promotion of voter registration or | ||
| voting participation permitted under this section. | ||
| Sec. 18.083. FUNDING. A voter registrar may use any | ||
| available revenue, including legislative appropriations, and may | ||
| solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from a public or | ||
| private source for the purposes of this subchapter. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
