Pierson’s bill asking candidates about other citizenships

The text as introduced · 445 words

By: Pierson
H.B. No. 4962

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the disclosure of citizenship of a candidate for public

office.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter (B), Section 141.0031, Election Code,

is amended by adding Subsections (N) and (O) to read as follows:

(4) include:

(A) the candidate's name;

(B) the candidate's occupation;

(C) the office sought, including any place number or

other distinguishing number;

(D) an indication of whether the office sought is to be

filled for a full or unexpired term if the office sought and another

office to be voted on have the same title but do not have place

numbers or other distinguishing numbers;

(E) a statement that the candidate is a United States

citizen;

(F) a statement that the candidate has not been

determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate

jurisdiction to be:

(i) totally mentally incapacitated; or

(ii) partially mentally incapacitated without the

right to vote;

(G) an indication that the candidate has either not

been finally convicted of a felony or if so convicted has been

pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities;

(H) the candidate's date of birth;

(I) the candidate's residence address or, if the

residence has no address, the address at which the candidate

receives mail and a concise description of the location of the

candidate's residence;

(J) the candidate's length of continuous residence in

the state and in the territory from which the office sought is

elected as of the date the candidate swears to the application;

(K) the statement: "I, __________, of __________

County, Texas, being a candidate for the office of __________,

swear that I will support and defend the constitution and laws of

the United States and of the State of Texas";

(L) a statement that the candidate is aware of the

nepotism law, Chapter 573, Government Code; and

(M) a public mailing address at which the candidate

receives correspondence relating to the candidate's campaign, if

available, and an electronic mail address at which the candidate

receives correspondence relating to the candidate's campaign, if

available.

(N) whether the candidate has any citizenship of any

nation except the United States or a federally recognized Indian

tribe. The question must also require the candidate to list their

other nation or nations of citizenship, as applicable.

(O) The information required in subsection (4)(N) must

be posted online in a publicly available place by the secretary of

state.

SECTION 2. This Act applies only to a candidate in an

election held on or after the effective date of this Act.

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