Monitoring the SessionSB 2227
Died in committee
The caption covers only notice from the Secretary of State. The body also adds new affirmative defenses to two election offenses, false registration claims and illegal voting, and the caption never mentions them.
Caption mismatchInitial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
relating to notification by the secretary of state when a person convicted of a felony may register to vote.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Caption: notice from the Secretary of State. Bill: got the notice? That’s an affirmative defense if prosecuted.
The bill orders the Texas Secretary of State to work with the prison system, the Department of Public Safety and other agencies to find out when a person with a felony conviction becomes eligible to vote again. At that point, the Secretary must use best efforts to send that person a plain-language notice, registration instructions and a registration application, and must post a generic version of the notice online. The bill also gives people who received that notice a new affirmative defense if they are prosecuted for false registration claims or for voting while ineligible.
Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 310 by Rep. Bucy (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 310 by Rep. Bucy (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 11, 2025 and referred to the Senate State Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
89R-SB2227 · 2025-03-11
relating to notification by the secretary of state when a person convicted of a felony may register to vote.
Caption: notice from the Secretary of State. Bill: got the notice? That’s an affirmative defense if prosecuted.
The bill orders the Texas Secretary of State to work with the prison system, the Department of Public Safety and other agencies to find out when a person with a felony conviction becomes eligible to vote again. At that point, the Secretary must use best efforts to send that person a plain-language notice, registration instructions and a registration application, and must post a generic version of the notice online. The bill also gives people who received that notice a new affirmative defense if they are prosecuted for false registration claims or for voting while ineligible.
[x] CAPTION MISMATCHanalysis confidence 60%
The caption covers only notice from the Secretary of State. The body also adds new affirmative defenses to two election offenses, false registration claims and illegal voting, and the caption never mentions them.
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
No verified beat found.
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The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 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.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.
by Rep. Bucy, different lead author · Died in committee · same text
Introduced textLast action, Feb 23, 2023: Referred to Elections
Relating to notification by the secretary of state when a person convicted of a felony may register to vote.
Caption, 88R bill history
Texas Senate · Filed Mar 11, 2025
03/25/2025 S Referred to State Affairs
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee
HB 590 by Bucy (identical)
Corrections--Parole, Probation & Pardons
Elections--Registration & Suffrage
PUBLIC NOTICE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF
SECRETARY OF STATE
The text as introduced · 463 words
89R1510 LRM-D By: Eckhardt S.B. No. 2227 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to notification by the secretary of state when a person convicted of a felony may register to vote. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 13.007, Election Code, is amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: (d) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that for a person not eligible to vote under Section 13.001(a)(4): (1) the person represented on a registration application that the person is eligible to register to vote; and (2) the person received notice under Section 15.029(c). SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 15, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 15.029 to read as follows: Sec. 15.029. NOTIFICATION OF REGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY BY SECRETARY OF STATE. (a) This section applies to a person who is ineligible to vote in this state under Section 13.001(a)(4) because the person was finally convicted of a felony. (b) The secretary of state shall coordinate with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the Department of Public Safety, and any other relevant agency to determine when a person to whom this section applies is no longer ineligible to vote or apply for voter registration under Section 13.001(a)(4)(A) or (B). (c) At the time a person to whom this section applies is no longer ineligible to vote under Section 13.001(a)(4)(A) or (B), the secretary of state shall use best efforts to provide the person with: (1) a notice informing the person in plain language that the person's felony conviction no longer disqualifies the person from being eligible to register to vote, including a complete list of eligibility requirements; (2) instructions for registration; and (3) a voter registration application. (d) The secretary of state shall post on the secretary's Internet website a generic version of the notice described by Subsection (c)(1). (e) The secretary of state shall adopt rules as necessary to administer this section. SECTION 3. Section 64.012, Election Code, is amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: (e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(1) that the person received notice under Section 15.029(c). SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act in amending Sections 13.007 and 64.012, Election Code, apply 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 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.