This website will be unavailable from Friday, April 26, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. through Monday, April 29, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. due to data center maintenance.

BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 666

By: Miller, Rick

Elections

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Concerned parties point out that senior citizens and those who are disabled, like other mail voters, apply to vote by mail each election. C.S.H.B. 666 seeks to alleviate some of the paperwork for senior and disabled citizens by authorizing a senior or disabled person to apply to vote by mail once a year.  

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

 

ANALYSIS

 

C.S.H.B. 666 amends the Election Code, in regard to an application for a ballot to be voted by mail that is submitted to the county clerk indicating the ground of eligibility is age or disability and that does not specify the election for which a ballot is requested, to establish that such an application is considered to be an application for a ballot for each election in which the county clerk serves as early voting clerk, in which the applicant is eligible to vote, and that occurs before the earlier of the end of the calendar year in which the application was submitted or the date the county clerk receives notice from the voter registrar that the voter has submitted a change in registration information. The bill requires such an application to be preserved for the period for preserving the precinct election records for the last election for which the application is effective. The bill requires the voter registrar to notify the county clerk following the receipt of a notice of a change in registration information by the voter.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

January 1, 2014.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 666 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

INTRODUCED

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

SECTION 1.  Chapter 86, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 86.0015 to read as follows:

Sec. 86.0015.  APPLYING FOR MORE THAN ONE ELECTION IN SAME APPLICATION.  (a)  This section applies only to an application for a ballot to be voted by mail that:

(1)  is submitted to the county clerk indicating the ground of eligibility is age or disability; and

(2)  does not specify the election for which a ballot is requested.

(b)  An application described by Subsection (a) is considered to be an application for a ballot for each election in which the county clerk serves as early voting clerk and:

(1)  in which the applicant is eligible to vote; and

(2)  that occurs before the first anniversary of the date the application was submitted.

 

 

 

 

 

(c)  An application described by Subsection (a) shall be preserved for the period for preserving the precinct election records for the last election for which the application is effective.

 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 86, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 86.0015 to read as follows:

Sec. 86.0015.  APPLYING FOR MORE THAN ONE ELECTION IN SAME APPLICATION.  (a)  This section applies only to an application for a ballot to be voted by mail that:

(1)  is submitted to the county clerk indicating the ground of eligibility is age or disability; and

(2)  does not specify the election for which a ballot is requested.

(b)  An application described by Subsection (a) is considered to be an application for a ballot for each election in which the county clerk serves as early voting clerk and:

(1)  in which the applicant is eligible to vote; and

(2)  that occurs before the earlier of:

(A)  the end of the calendar year in which the application was submitted; or

(B)  the date the county clerk receives notice from the voter registrar under Subsection (d) that the voter has submitted a change in registration information.

(c)  An application described by Subsection (a) shall be preserved for the period for preserving the precinct election records for the last election for which the application is effective.

(d)  The voter registrar shall notify the county clerk following the receipt of a notice of a change in registration information under Section 15.021.

 

SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only to an application for a ballot to be voted by mail received on or after the effective date of this Act.

 

SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.

 

 

SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2014.

 

SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.