Bill Text: TX HCR8 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced

Texas House Concurrent Resolution 8 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Urging Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-07-08 - Referred to Constitutional Rights & Remedies [HCR8 Detail]

Download: Texas-2021-HCR8-Introduced.html

	87S10437 TBO-D

	By: Bucy	H.C.R. No. 8



	CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The passage of the For the People Act and the John
	Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would help to protect
	Americans' right to vote; and
	WHEREAS, The For the People Act currently under consideration
	in the United States Congress reflects lessons learned across the
	country during recent election cycles, embracing measures to
	improve the safety and security of our voting processes and to
	strengthen our democracy by engaging more citizens; recognizing the
	exigencies of modern life in a 24/7 economy, the legislation
	includes many elements to make voting simpler and more convenient,
	among them at least two weeks of early in-person voting, online and
	same-day voter registration, and automatic voter registration at
	motor vehicle departments and other specified government agencies;
	it expands and standardizes voting by mail, provides funding for
	mail-in ballot tracking, and offers standards for ballot drop
	boxes; setting such national policies will ensure that every
	eligible voter has equal access to the ballot box, no matter where
	they reside; and
	WHEREAS, In 2013, a landmark Supreme Court decision weakened
	the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by ending the preclearance process,
	which required jurisdictions with a history of voting
	discrimination to submit changes to voting policies for federal
	approval before implementing them; in response to the decision,
	U.S. Representatives Terri Sewell and John Lewis coauthored the
	Voting Rights Advancement Act, which was renamed in honor of
	Congressman Lewis after his passing; this bill would restore the
	protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 while updating the
	coverage criteria to reflect current conditions and apply to all
	states; furthermore, the bill focuses the preclearance process on a
	set of discriminatory measures, requires reasonable public notice
	for voting changes, and allows the Attorney General to request the
	presence of federal observers in places at risk of racial
	discrimination in voting; and
	WHEREAS, The United States is the world's leading democracy,
	and we must continue to set the standard for free, fair, and
	accessible elections in which every vote is counted; now,
	therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas,
	1st Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the United States
	Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting
	Rights Advancement Act; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
	copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
	the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
	Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
	members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
	this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
	memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.