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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the conduct and administration of elections; providing |
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a civil penalty. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 18, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 18.0051 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 18.0051. ADDITIONAL CONTENTS; COUNTY INFORMATION. (a) |
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In this section, "county certification number" means any number |
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assigned to a voter of a county by the registrar, in addition to and |
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other than the voter's registration number, for purposes of |
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identifying the voter. |
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(b) If a registrar assigns county certification numbers to |
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voters in the county, the registrar may not assign more than one |
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county certification number to a voter. |
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(c) If a county's list of registered voters contains a voter |
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with one registration number and multiple county certification |
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numbers, the registrar shall deliver to the voter a written |
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confirmation notice under Section 15.051. |
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(d) If the voter's response to the confirmation notice |
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contains a residential address that matches the voter's residential |
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address on the county's list of registered voters, the county |
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certification number associated with that address is considered the |
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effective county certification number for that voter, and the |
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registrar shall remove any additional county certification number |
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from the voter's information on the county's list of registered |
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voters. |
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(e) If the voter's response to the confirmation notice does |
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not contain a residential address that matches the voter's |
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residential address on the county's list of registered voters, the |
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registrar shall: |
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(1) remove all county certification numbers from the |
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voter's information on the county's list of registered voters; and |
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(2) issue a new county certification number to the |
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voter for the residential address listed by the voter in the voter's |
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response to the confirmation notice. |
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(f) If a county's list of registered voters contains a voter |
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with one registration number and multiple county certification |
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numbers and the registrar fails to timely deliver a confirmation |
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notice required under this section, the secretary of state may |
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withhold funds administered and distributed by the secretary under |
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Chapter 19 or Section 31.009 from the registrar. |
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(g) Notwithstanding Subsection (f), the secretary of state |
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shall distribute funds under Chapter 19 or Section 31.009 if the |
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registrar delivers the confirmation notice not later than 30 days |
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after the funds are withheld. |
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(h) The secretary of state may adopt rules and procedures |
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for the administration of this section. |
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SECTION 2. Section 19.002(d), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The secretary of state may not make a payment under |
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Subsection (b) if on June 1 of the year in which the payment is to be |
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made the registrar is not in substantial compliance with Section |
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15.022, 15.051, 15.083, 16.031, 16.032, or 18.065 or with rules |
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implementing the registration service program. |
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SECTION 3. Section 31.014, Election Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as |
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follows: |
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(c) The secretary of state shall adopt rules that: |
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(1) require a device described by this section used |
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during the early voting period or under the countywide polling |
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place program under Section 43.007 to update data in real time; and |
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(2) require a county that uses a device described by |
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this section to use each device function described by Subsection |
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(a). |
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(d) If a county uses a device that does not comply with a |
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rule adopted under this section or uses a device in a manner that |
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does not comply with a [the] rule adopted under this section [in two |
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consecutive general elections for state and county officers], the |
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secretary of state shall assess a noncompliance fee. The |
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noncompliance fee shall be set at an amount determined by secretary |
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of state rule. |
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SECTION 4. Section 33.007(a), Election Code, is amended to <Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 19.002, Election Code 31.014, Election Code 33.007, Election Code 33.051, Election Code 33.056, Election Code 43.031, Election Code 63.0101, Election Code 68.032, Election Code 86.001, Election Code 86.002, Election Code 86.011, Election Code 87.0431, Election Code 87.101, Election Code 87.102, Election Code 127.1232, Election Code 127.126, Election Code 127.131, Subchapter A, Chapter , Election Code 87.102 (Election Code 68, Election Code 87, Election Code 86, Election Code 19, Election Code 31, Subchapter A, Chapter , Election Code 87, Election Code 63, Election Code 43, Election Code 33, Election Code 127)
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