Monitoring the Session

HB 1152

bill allowing electronic signatures on mail ballot envelopes

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

Initial review · graded Oct 19, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the signature required on a carrier envelope for a ballot voted by mail.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

For voters who cannot sign by hand, and their helpers.

The bill lets a mail-in voter, or a person who helps a voter mail the ballot, use an electronic or photocopied signature on the carrier envelope when that is needed because the person cannot sign by hand. It touches voters with disabilities who vote by mail, the people who assist them, and the election officials who check carrier envelopes. Starting September 1, 2025, the ink-on-paper rule stays in place for everyone else, but officials must accept a non-handwritten signature from someone who cannot sign by hand.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1152 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

+ 5 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the signature required on a carrier envelope for a ballot voted by mail.

WHAT IT DOES

For voters who cannot sign by hand, and their helpers.

The bill lets a mail-in voter, or a person who helps a voter mail the ballot, use an electronic or photocopied signature on the carrier envelope when that is needed because the person cannot sign by hand. It touches voters with disabilities who vote by mail, the people who assist them, and the election officials who check carrier envelopes. Starting September 1, 2025, the ink-on-paper rule stays in place for everyone else, but officials must accept a non-handwritten signature from someone who cannot sign by hand.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Elections
FILED UNDER

Beats not yet reviewed.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Penny Morales Shaw

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$22KHouse Democratic Caucus$7KTexas Organizing Project Political Action Committee$6K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$21,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$21,500.00

Cash
$21,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$21,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 19, 2024 to Aug 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100984943, 101006793, 101044547, 101054176, 101068938.

House Democratic Caucus$7,000.00

House Democratic Caucus

$7,000.00

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Apr 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101054176.

Texas Organizing Project Political Action Committee$6,254.03

Texas Organizing Project Political Action Committee

$6,254.03

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$6,254.03
Total
$6,254.03
Other filed descriptions $4,070.03printing $2,184.00

Also funds 4 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 31, 2024 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100984943, 101068938.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$21,500.00

Cash
$21,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$21,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 19, 2024 to Aug 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100984943, 101006793, 101044547, 101054176, 101068938.

×

House Democratic Caucus

$7,000.00

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Apr 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101054176.

×

Texas Organizing Project Political Action Committee

$6,254.03

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$6,254.03
Total
$6,254.03
Other filed descriptions $4,070.03printing $2,184.00

Also funds 4 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 31, 2024 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100984943, 101068938.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 19, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

03/07/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 7 2025 2:33PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
John BryantDHouse 114 Lulu FloresDHouse 51 Terry MezaDHouse 105 Ana-María Rodríguez RamosDHouse 102 Gene WuDHouse 137

House committee · Elections · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Disabilities, Persons with

Elections--Early Voting

DIGITAL SIGNATURES

Text

The text as introduced · 286 words

89R447 MLH-D

By: Morales Shaw
H.B. No. 1152

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the signature required on a carrier envelope for a

ballot voted by mail.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 86.005, Election Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (f) to read as

follows:

(c) After marking the ballot, the voter must place it in the

official ballot envelope and then seal the ballot envelope, place

the ballot envelope in the official carrier envelope and then seal

the carrier envelope, and sign the certificate on the carrier

envelope using ink on paper. Except as provided by Subsection (f),

an [ An ] electronic signature or photocopied signature is not

permitted.

(f) An electronic signature or photocopied signature is

permitted to the extent necessary to reasonably accommodate an

individual who is unable to sign by hand.

SECTION 2. Section 86.0051, Election Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (g) to read as

follows:

(b) A person other than the voter who assists a voter by

depositing the carrier envelope in the mail or with a common or

contract carrier or who obtains the carrier envelope for that

purpose must provide the person's signature, printed name, and

residence address on the reverse side of the envelope. The person

must sign the envelope using ink on paper. Except as provided by

Subsection (g), an [ An ] electronic signature or photocopied

signature is not permitted.

(g) An electronic signature or photocopied signature is

permitted to the extent necessary to reasonably accommodate an

individual who is unable to sign by hand.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.