Bill Text: TX HCR9 | 2021 | 87th Legislature 3rd Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-09-27 - Referred to Constitutional Rights & Remedies [HCR9 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HCR9-Introduced.html
87S30295 TBO-D | ||
By: Reynolds | H.C.R. No. 9 |
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WHEREAS, The passage of the Freedom to Vote Act would help to | ||
protect Americans' right to vote; and | ||
WHEREAS, On September 14, 2021, the Freedom to Vote Act was | ||
introduced in Congress by a group of moderate and progressive | ||
Democratic senators with the support of Senate Majority Leader | ||
Chuck Schumer; representing a compromise on issues addressed in the | ||
previously introduced For the People Act, the Freedom to Vote Act | ||
abandons the former bill's more controversial elements while still | ||
including provisions that prevent discrimination, make voting more | ||
accessible, reform campaign funding, and modernize election | ||
infrastructure; and | ||
WHEREAS, If passed, the Freedom to Vote Act would offer | ||
protections for people with disabilities, prohibit deceptive and | ||
inequitable practices, and restore the federal voting rights of | ||
formerly incarcerated citizens; it would also implement automatic | ||
voter registration, prevent unnecessary limitations on online and | ||
same-day voter registration, and establish national standards for | ||
early voting, mail voting, and voter identification; by breaking | ||
down barriers to the ballot box, the bill would ensure that every | ||
eligible voter has the opportunity to participate in free and fair | ||
elections; and | ||
WHEREAS, The Freedom to Vote Act would enhance transparency | ||
in campaign funding by requiring certain entities to disclose all | ||
major donors, and it would strengthen rules that keep super PACs and | ||
other external groups independent of candidates; in addition, the | ||
bill provides grants for states to update their voting machines, | ||
and it includes improvements to the Federal Election Commission's | ||
enforcement process, expanded penalties for destroying or altering | ||
election records, and procedures for states to conduct postelection | ||
audits; these changes would promote security at every step of the | ||
electoral process; and | ||
WHEREAS, The freedom to vote is fundamental to a successful | ||
democracy, and Congress should take action to protect elections | ||
from unjust practices and unethical interference; now, therefore, | ||
be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas, | ||
3rd Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the United States | ||
Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote 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. |