Bill Text: TX SB1111 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the residence address of a voter for purposes of a response to a confirmation notice sent by the voter registrar.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 13-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-16 - Effective on 9/1/21 [SB1111 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1111-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to the residence address of a voter for purposes of a response to a confirmation notice sent by the voter registrar.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 13-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-16 - Effective on 9/1/21 [SB1111 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1111-Comm_Sub.html
By: Bettencourt, et al. | S.B. No. 1111 | |
(In the Senate - Filed March 5, 2021; March 18, 2021, read | ||
first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; | ||
April 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, | ||
Nays 3; April 20, 2021, sent to printer.) | ||
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relating to the residence address of a voter for purposes of a | ||
response to a confirmation notice sent by the voter registrar. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 1.015, Election Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read as | ||
follows: | ||
(b) A person may not establish residence for the purpose of | ||
influencing the outcome of a certain election [ |
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(f) A person may not establish a residence at any place the | ||
person has not inhabited. A person may not designate a previous | ||
residence as a home and fixed place of habitation unless the person | ||
inhabits the place at the time of designation and intends to remain. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 15.052(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) The official confirmation notice response form must: | ||
(1) provide spaces for the voter to include all of the | ||
information that a person must include in an application to | ||
register to vote under Section 13.002; [ |
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(2) describe the requirements of Section 15.054, | ||
provide a space for the voter to indicate if the voter is exempt | ||
from those requirements, and provide a space to indicate the reason | ||
for an exemption, if any; | ||
(3) provide the definition of residence under Section | ||
1.015; and | ||
(4) be postage prepaid and preaddressed for delivery | ||
to the registrar. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 15.053(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) Not later than the 30th day after the date a | ||
confirmation notice is mailed, the voter shall submit to the | ||
registrar a written, signed response to the notice that confirms | ||
the voter's current residence. The response must contain: | ||
(1) all of the information that a person must include | ||
in an application to register to vote under Section 13.002; | ||
(2) a sworn affirmation of the voter's current | ||
residence as defined by Section 1.015; and | ||
(3) evidence of the voter's residence address as | ||
required by Section 15.054 or an indication that the voter is exempt | ||
from those requirements. | ||
SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 15, Election Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 15.054 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 15.054. DOCUMENTATION OF RESIDENCE FOR PURPOSES OF | ||
CONFIRMATION NOTICE RESPONSE. (a) For purposes of Section 15.053, | ||
a voter's residence may be documented by providing a photocopy of | ||
the first document, beginning with Subdivision (1) and continuing | ||
through Subdivision (6), in the following list that corresponds to | ||
the voter's residence under Section 1.015: | ||
(1) a driver's license issued to the voter by the | ||
Department of Public Safety that has not expired or, if the voter | ||
has notified the department of a change of address under Section | ||
521.054, Transportation Code, an affidavit from the voter stating | ||
the new address contained in the notification; | ||
(2) a personal identification card issued to the voter | ||
by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired or, if the | ||
voter has notified the department of a change of address under | ||
Section 521.054, Transportation Code, an affidavit from the voter | ||
stating the new address contained in the notification; | ||
(3) a license to carry a concealed handgun issued to | ||
the voter by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired | ||
or, if the voter has notified the department of a change of address | ||
under Section 411.181, Government Code, an affidavit from the voter | ||
stating the new address contained in the notification; | ||
(4) an appraisal district document showing the address | ||
the voter claims as a homestead in this state; | ||
(5) a utility bill addressed to the voter's residence | ||
address; or | ||
(6) an official tax document or Texas Department of | ||
Motor Vehicles document showing the registration address of a | ||
vehicle the voter owns. | ||
(b) A voter whose residence in this state has no address may | ||
document residence under this section by executing an affidavit | ||
stating that the voter's residence in this state has no address, | ||
providing a concise description of the location of the voter's | ||
residence, and delivering the affidavit to the registrar with the | ||
voter's response to the confirmation notice. | ||
(c) The address described by Subsection (a)(4) may not be a | ||
commercial post office box or similar location that does not | ||
correspond to a residence. | ||
(d) This section does not apply to: | ||
(1) a voter who is a member of the armed forces of the | ||
United States or the spouse or a dependent of a member; | ||
(2) a voter enrolled as a full-time student who lives | ||
on campus at an institution of higher education; | ||
(3) a voter whose address is confidential under | ||
Subchapter C, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure; | ||
(4) a federal judge, state judge, or spouse of a | ||
federal or state judge whose driver's license includes the street | ||
address of a courthouse under Section 521.121, Transportation Code; | ||
or | ||
(5) a peace officer whose driver's license omits the | ||
officer's actual residence address under Section 521.1211, | ||
Transportation Code. | ||
(e) Subsection (a)(1) does not apply to a voter who holds a | ||
commercial driver's license under Subchapter C, Chapter 522, | ||
Transportation Code. | ||
(f) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a | ||
voter enrolled as a full-time student who lives on campus at an | ||
institution of higher education may use the address of a post office | ||
box located on the campus of the institution or in a dormitory owned | ||
or operated by the institution to confirm the voter's residence. | ||
(g) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to | ||
implement this section. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
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