Bill Text: TX HB590 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to notification by the secretary of state when a person convicted of a felony may register to vote.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB590 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB590-Introduced.html
| 89R1510 LRM-D | ||
| By: Bucy | H.B. No. 590 | |
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| relating to notification by the secretary of state when a person | ||
| convicted of a felony may register to vote. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 13.007, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: | ||
| (d) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this | ||
| section that for a person not eligible to vote under Section | ||
| 13.001(a)(4): | ||
| (1) the person represented on a registration | ||
| application that the person is eligible to register to vote; and | ||
| (2) the person received notice under Section | ||
| 15.029(c). | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 15, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 15.029 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 15.029. NOTIFICATION OF REGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY BY | ||
| SECRETARY OF STATE. (a) This section applies to a person who is | ||
| ineligible to vote in this state under Section 13.001(a)(4) because | ||
| the person was finally convicted of a felony. | ||
| (b) The secretary of state shall coordinate with the Texas | ||
| Department of Criminal Justice, the Department of Public Safety, | ||
| and any other relevant agency to determine when a person to whom | ||
| this section applies is no longer ineligible to vote or apply for | ||
| voter registration under Section 13.001(a)(4)(A) or (B). | ||
| (c) At the time a person to whom this section applies is no | ||
| longer ineligible to vote under Section 13.001(a)(4)(A) or (B), the | ||
| secretary of state shall use best efforts to provide the person | ||
| with: | ||
| (1) a notice informing the person in plain language | ||
| that the person's felony conviction no longer disqualifies the | ||
| person from being eligible to register to vote, including a | ||
| complete list of eligibility requirements; | ||
| (2) instructions for registration; and | ||
| (3) a voter registration application. | ||
| (d) The secretary of state shall post on the secretary's | ||
| Internet website a generic version of the notice described by | ||
| Subsection (c)(1). | ||
| (e) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to | ||
| administer this section. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 64.012, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: | ||
| (e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under | ||
| Subsection (a)(1) that the person received notice under Section | ||
| 15.029(c). | ||
| SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act in amending | ||
| Sections 13.007 and 64.012, Election Code, apply only to an offense | ||
| committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense | ||
| committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the | ||
| law in effect when the offense was committed, and the former law is | ||
| continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, | ||
| an offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if | ||
| any element of the offense occurred before that date. | ||
| SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
