bill requiring two voter registration drives at every high school

The text as introduced · 523 words

89R17277 AB-F

By: Cook
S.B. No. 2738

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to high school deputy voter registrars.

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

SECTION 1. Section 13.046, Election Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (d-1), (e-1), (e-2),

and (e-3) to read as follows:

(d) At least twice each school year, a high school deputy

registrar shall distribute an officially prescribed registration

application form to each student in the 12th grade or who is or will

be 18 years of age or older during that year, subject to rules

prescribed by the secretary of state , by hand delivery or by

inclusion in standard school material packets .

(d-1) Each public or private high school shall:

(1) provide access to registration application forms

in the school office or another public area within the school; and

(2) verbally or virtually notify students at the

beginning of the school year of the form's availability and

location.

(e-1) Each high school deputy registrar shall not later than

August 31 of each year submit to the secretary of state a report for

the preceding school year. The report must include:

(1) the total number of registration application forms

distributed under Subsection (d);

(2) a detailed description of the location where

registration application forms submitted to the high school deputy

registrar under Subsection (e) are kept;

(3) the months during which the registration

application forms were distributed; and

(4) the name of the high school deputy registrar and,

if different, the name of the principal.

(e-2) The secretary of state may redact the name or names

provided under Subsection (e-1)(4) from the report before providing

public access to the report.

(e-3) A public or private high school shall conduct at least

two voter registration drives during each school year at the

school's expense. The school may cooperate with the county

election office, nonpartisan, nonprofit voter registration

organizations, and nonpartisan voter registration agencies as

necessary to provide voter registration assistance. At least one

deputy registrar must attend to provide voter registration

application forms, assist students in completing the forms to the

extent permissible by law, and collect completed forms for

submission to the county voter registrar. Each student in the 12th

grade and any other student who is eligible to register to vote must

be allowed to attend the registration drives. The registration

drives must be offered during classroom instructional time or in a

public area of the school building.

SECTION 2. Section 13.047, Election Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c) Each public school and open-enrollment charter school

shall offer in-person or virtual training developed under this

section at least once per year. The training shall be offered

during the school week and must be made available to each student,

school employee, parent, or local community member eligible for the

training. The school shall collaborate with the county in which the

school is located to provide the training. The school shall

communicate the training details virtually to all educators at the

school.

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