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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to procedures concerning voter registration. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 11, Election Code is amended by adding |
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Section 11.0005 to read as follows: Sec. 11.0005. GENERAL POLICY |
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REGARDING ELIGIBILITY. It is the policy of this state that no |
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qualified citizen shall be denied the right to vote due to |
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governmental clerical errors or due to technical defects on an |
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applicant's voter registration application as long as the |
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information on the application demonstrates that the citizen is |
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qualified to vote. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 13, Election Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 13.0725 to read as follows: |
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Sec 13.0725. PROCESS FOR VERIFICATION OF AN APPLICANT'S |
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TEXAS DRIVER'S LICENSE NUMBER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUED |
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PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. (a) |
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The secretary of state shall adopt rules establishing standards for |
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the verification of information on a voter registration application |
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submitted by a registrar under Section 13.072(a)(2)(A). The rules |
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shall provide a process by which the Texas driver's license number |
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or Department of Public Safety issued personal identification card |
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number is deemed verified if a reasonable person would conclude |
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that the Texas driver's license number or Department of Public |
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Safety issued personal identification card number submitted is the |
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correct number for that applicant. |
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(b) The secretary of state shall provide the registrar with, |
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if available, the name and date of birth maintained by the |
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Department of Public Safety or other agency used in the |
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verification process for a submitted application that corresponds |
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to the Texas driver's license number, Department of Public Safety |
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issued personal identification card number, or social security |
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number submitted by the registrar for verification if: |
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(1) the secretary of state cannot verify the accuracy |
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of an applicant's Texas driver's license number, Department of |
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Public Safety issued personal identification card number, or social |
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security number as submitted by the registrar; or |
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(2) the secretary of state verifies the accuracy of |
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the number provided, but it is not a perfect match with the personal |
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information provided by the registrar. |
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(c) A registrar shall review an application returned by the |
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secretary of state under Subsection (b). If the registrar |
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determines that a governmental clerical error was made in |
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processing or submitting the application, the registrar shall |
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correct the record and submit the corrected record to the secretary |
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of state as notice of the correction, and for verification under |
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Section 13.072(a)(2) if an application was returned due to failure |
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to verify. |
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SECTION 3. Section 13.073(a), Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the |
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registrar shall deliver written notice of the reason for the |
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rejection of an application to the applicant not later than the |
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second day after the date of rejection. If an application is |
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rejected for failure to verify under Section 13.072, the notice |
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shall indicate whether the last name, date of birth, Texas driver's |
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license number, Department of Public Safety issued personal |
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identification card number, or social security number was the |
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reason for the failure to verify, if that information is provided by |
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the secretary of state. |
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SECTION 4. Not later than January 1, 2010, the secretary of |
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state shall adopt rules establishing the standard the required by |
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Section 13.0725, Election Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |