Bill Text: TX SB119 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the voter registration of naturalized United States citizens.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-15 - Referred to State Affairs [SB119 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB119-Introduced.html
| 88R1801 MLH-D | ||
| By: Menéndez, Johnson | S.B. No. 119 | |
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| relating to the voter registration of naturalized United States | ||
| citizens. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 13.002(a), Election Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (a) Except as provided by Section 13.009, a [ |
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| desiring to register to vote must submit an application to the | ||
| registrar of the county in which the person resides. Except as | ||
| provided by Subsection (e), an application must be submitted by | ||
| personal delivery, by mail, or by telephonic facsimile machine in | ||
| accordance with Sections 13.143(d) and (d-2). | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 13.009. VOTER REGISTRATION OF NATURALIZED CITIZEN. | ||
| (a) The voter registrar of each county shall automatically | ||
| register a resident of the county who is eligible to vote as | ||
| provided by Section 13.001 upon issuance of a certificate of | ||
| naturalization by the United States Citizenship and Immigration | ||
| Services. | ||
| (b) For the purposes of Subsection (a), the Department of | ||
| Public Safety may, in cooperation with the United States | ||
| Citizenship and Immigration Services, establish a procedure by | ||
| which the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services | ||
| notifies the department when a person lawfully present in this | ||
| state is issued a certificate of naturalization. | ||
| (c) A procedure established under Subsection (b) must | ||
| require the Department of Public Safety to provide the information | ||
| received from the United States Citizenship and Immigration | ||
| Services to the appropriate county registrar. | ||
| (d) If the United States Citizenship and Immigration | ||
| Services fails to notify the Department of Public Safety that a | ||
| person lawfully present in this state has been issued a certificate | ||
| of naturalization, the newly naturalized citizen may present the | ||
| certificate of naturalization to the appropriate county registrar | ||
| in satisfaction of Section 13.002(c)(3). The registrar shall | ||
| assist the person in registering to vote. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
