H.B. No. 2449
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the procedures for voting ballots by mail.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 86.006, Election Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (g-1) to read as follows:
         (g-1)  When ballots or carrier envelopes are obtained in
  violation of this section pursuant to one scheme or continuing
  course of conduct, whether from the same or several sources, the
  conduct may be considered as one offense and the number of ballots
  or carrier envelopes aggregated in determining the grade of the
  offense.
         SECTION 2.  Section 86.014(a), Election Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A copy of an application for a ballot to be voted by mail
  is not available for public inspection, except to the voter seeking
  to verify that the information pertaining to the voter is accurate,
  until the first business day after [may be obtained from the early
  voting clerk:
               [(1)     72 hours after the time a ballot is mailed to the
  voter; or
               [(2)     48 hours after the time a ballot is mailed to the
  voter if the mailing occurs on the fourth day before] election day.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.
  An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and
  the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For
  purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the
  effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred
  before that date.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2449 was passed by the House on May
  13, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 112, Nays 16, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 2449 on May 26, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 1,
  2 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2449 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 24, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays
  3.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor