House Bill No. 5115 aims to increase the penalties for election fraud in Texas by amending Sections 276.013(a) and (b) of the Election Code. The bill expands the definition of election fraud to include new offenses such as counting invalid votes, altering reports to include or exclude valid votes, and discarding or destroying a voter's completed ballot without consent. The penalties for these offenses are elevated from a Class A misdemeanor to a felony of the second degree, with harsher penalties for elected officials committing these offenses, which would be classified as a felony of the first degree.

Additionally, the bill repeals Sections 276.013(c) and 276.014 of the Election Code, streamlining the legal framework surrounding election fraud. The changes will only apply to offenses committed on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025. Offenses occurring before this date will be governed by the previous laws in effect at that time.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Election Code 276.013 (Election Code 276)