Bryant Voter Registration Bill Moves Every Deadline To 23 Days

The text as introduced · 628 words

89R8247 LRM-D

By: Bryant
H.B. No. 3247

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to electronic voter registration.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is

amended by adding Section 13.009 to read as follows:

Sec. 13.009. ELECTRONIC VOTER REGISTRATION. (a) The

secretary of state shall work with the Department of Public Safety

and the Department of Information Resources to implement a program

to allow a person to complete a voter registration application over

the Internet from the official website of this state. The Internet

websites of the secretary of state and the Department of Public

Safety must also provide a link to the location of the application

on the official website of this state.

(b) An applicant for electronic voter registration who has

an unexpired driver's license or personal identification card

issued in this state must:

(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on

the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;

and

(2) affirmatively consent to the use of the signature

on the applicant's driver's license or personal identification card

for voter registration purposes.

(c) An applicant for electronic voter registration who does

not have an unexpired driver's license or personal identification

card issued in this state must:

(1) attest to the truth of the information provided on

the application by affirmatively accepting the information as true;

and

(2) digitally sign the applicant's application before

submitting it electronically.

(d) For each application submitted under Subsection (b),

the program shall require that a digital copy of the applicant's

signature be obtained from the Department of Public Safety.

(e) A digital signature given as provided by secretary of

state rule meets the signature requirement under Section 13.002(b).

An application submitted under this section is considered for all

purposes an application submitted by mail under this title.

(f) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to

implement this section, including rules to provide for additional

security measures necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of

applications submitted electronically.

(g) The rules adopted under Subsection (f) must require

that:

(1) the Internet website through which a person may

complete a voter registration application include a description of

the offense described by Section 13.007 in a conspicuous location

on the website near the place where the person begins or submits the

application; and

(2) the state electronic Internet portal project be

used to authenticate the identity and address of a person who

submits an application electronically under this section.

SECTION 2. Section 13.042(c), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(c) An application submitted after the 27th [ 34th ] day

before the date of an election and on or before the last day for a

person to timely submit a registration application for that

election as provided by Section 13.143 shall be delivered not later

than 5 p.m. of the next regular business day after the date to

timely submit a registration application for that election as

provided by Section 13.143.

SECTION 3. Sections 13.143(a) and (e), Election Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (e), if an

applicant's registration application is approved, the registration

becomes effective on the 23rd [ 30th ] day after the date the

application is submitted to the registrar or on the date the

applicant becomes 18 years of age, whichever is later.

(e) If the 23rd [ 30th ] day before the date of an election is

a Saturday, Sunday, or legal state or national holiday, an

application is considered to be timely if it is submitted to the

registrar on or before the next regular business day.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.