H.B. No. 242 introduces a new criminal offense related to the dissemination of personally identifiable voter information. The bill amends Chapter 276 of the Election Code by adding Section 276.0051, which makes it a third-degree felony for any person to knowingly disseminate information that connects a voter to their individual ballot selections, thereby violating the voter's right to a secret ballot as protected by the Texas Constitution. There are exceptions to this offense, including situations where the dissemination is conducted by an election official in the lawful discharge of their duties or occurs under a court order or with the voter's permission.

Additionally, the bill allows for consecutive sentencing if a person is convicted under this new section and is also found guilty of other offenses arising from the same criminal episode that involve the misuse of the disseminated information. The changes in law will only apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025. Offenses committed prior to this date will be governed by the law in effect at that time.

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