bill adding a veteran box to voter and license forms

The text as introduced · 2,352 words

90R4347 JDK-D

By: Garcia of Bexar
H.B. No. 406

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to identifying an individual with veteran's status and

providing notice to the Texas Veterans Commission.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 13.004(c) and (d), Election Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(c) The following information furnished on a registration

application is confidential and does not constitute public

information for purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code:

(1) a social security number;

(2) a Texas driver's license number;

(3) a number of a personal identification card issued

by the Department of Public Safety;

(4) the residence address of the applicant, if the

applicant is a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge,

a marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States

attorney, or a state judge, a family member of a federal judge,

including a federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United

States Marshals Service, a United States attorney, or a state

judge, the spouse of a peace officer as defined by Article 2A.001,

Code of Criminal Procedure, or an individual to whom Section

552.1175, Government Code, or Section 521.1211, Transportation

Code, applies and the applicant:

(A) included an affidavit with the registration

application describing the applicant's status under this

subdivision, if the applicant is a federal judge, including a

federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United States Marshals

Service, a United States attorney, or a state judge or a family

member of a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge, a

marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States

attorney, or a state judge;

(B) provided the registrar with an affidavit

describing the applicant's status under this subdivision, if the

applicant is a federal judge, including a federal bankruptcy judge,

a marshal of the United States Marshals Service, a United States

attorney, or a state judge or a family member of a federal judge,

including a federal bankruptcy judge, a marshal of the United

States Marshals Service, a United States attorney, or a state

judge; or

(C) provided the registrar with a completed form

approved by the secretary of state for the purpose of notifying the

registrar of the applicant's status under this subdivision;

(5) the residence address of the applicant, if the

applicant, the applicant's child, or another person in the

applicant's household is a victim of family violence as defined by

Section 71.004, Family Code, who provided the registrar with:

(A) a copy of a protective order issued under

Chapter 85, Family Code, or a magistrate's order for emergency

protection issued under Article 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure;

or

(B) other independent documentary evidence

necessary to show that the applicant, the applicant's child, or

another person in the applicant's household is a victim of family

violence;

(6) the residence address of the applicant, if the

applicant, the applicant's child, or another person in the

applicant's household is a victim of sexual assault or abuse,

stalking, or trafficking of persons who provided the registrar

with:

(A) a copy of a protective order issued under

Subchapter A or B, Chapter 7B, Code of Criminal Procedure, or a

magistrate's order for emergency protection issued under Article

17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure; or

(B) other independent documentary evidence

necessary to show that the applicant, the applicant's child, or

another person in the applicant's household is a victim of sexual

assault or abuse, stalking, or trafficking of persons;

(7) the residence address of the applicant, if the

applicant:

(A) is a participant in the address

confidentiality program administered by the attorney general under

Subchapter B, Chapter 58, Code of Criminal Procedure; and

(B) provided the registrar with proof of

certification under Article 58.059, Code of Criminal Procedure;

[ or ]

(8) the telephone number of any applicant submitting

documentation under Subdivision (4), (5), (6), or (7) ; or

(9) the applicant's status as a veteran .

(d) The voter registrar or other county official who has

access to the information furnished on a registration application

may not post the following information on a website:

(1) a telephone number;

(2) a social security number;

(3) a driver's license number or a number of a personal

identification card;

(4) a date of birth; [ or ]

(5) the residence address of a voter who submits

documentation under Subsection (c)(4), (5), (6), or (7) to the

voter registrar or regarding whom the registrar has received

notification under Section 15.0215 ; or

(6) an applicant's status as a veteran .

SECTION 2. Section 13.071, Election Code, is amended by

adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:

(c) The registrar shall compile a list of each submitted

application for registration that indicates the applicant served in

the United States armed forces, including their reserve components,

an auxiliary service of one of the branches of the armed forces, or

the state military forces as defined by Section 431.001, Government

Code. The list shall include each applicant's:

(1) residence address; and

(2) if provided by the applicant, telephone number.

(d) The secretary of state shall adopt procedures for the

transmission of information collected under Subsection (c) to the

Texas Veterans Commission.

SECTION 3. Section 13.122, Election Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to read as

follows:

(a) In addition to the other statements and spaces for

entering information that appear on an officially prescribed

registration application form, each official form must include:

(1) the statement: "I understand that giving false

information to procure a voter registration is perjury and a crime

under state and federal law.";

(2) a space for the applicant's registration number;

(3) a space for the applicant's Texas driver's license

number or number of a personal identification card issued by the

Department of Public Safety;

(4) a space for the applicant's telephone number;

(5) a space for the applicant's social security

number;

(6) a space for the applicant's sex;

(7) a statement indicating that the furnishing of the

applicant's telephone number and sex is optional;

(8) a space or box for indicating whether the

applicant or voter is submitting new registration information or a

change in current registration information;

(9) a statement instructing a voter who is using the

form to make a change in current registration information to enter

the voter's name and the changed information in the appropriate

spaces on the form;

(10) a statement that if the applicant declines to

register to vote, that fact will remain confidential and will be

used only for voter registration purposes;

(11) a statement that if the applicant does register

to vote, information regarding the agency or office to which the

application is submitted will remain confidential and will be used

only for voter registration purposes;

(12) a space or box for indicating whether the

applicant is interested in working as an election judge;

(13) a statement warning that a conviction for making

a false statement may result in imprisonment for up to the maximum

amount of time provided by law, a fine of up to the maximum amount

provided by law, or both the imprisonment and the fine; [ and ]

(14) a space or box for indicating whether the

applicant served in the United States armed forces, including their

reserve components, an auxiliary service of one of the branches of

the armed forces, or the state military forces as defined by Section

431.001, Government Code, and a statement acknowledging that:

(A) providing this information is optional; and

(B) this information will remain confidential

and will be used only to print a designation on the voter

registration certificate and to provide notification of the

applicant's veteran status to the Texas Veterans Commission, which

may contact the applicant to connect the applicant with available

services; and

(15) [ (14) ] any other voter registration information

required by federal law or considered appropriate and required by

the secretary of state.

(d) The information furnished by an applicant under

Subsection (a)(14) may only be used for the purpose described by

Sections 13.071(c) and (d) or Section 15.001(a).

SECTION 4. Section 15.001(a), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) Each voter registration certificate issued must

contain:

(1) the voter's name in the form indicated by the

voter, subject to applicable requirements prescribed by Section

13.002 and by rule of the secretary of state;

(2) the voter's residence address or, if the residence

has no address, the address at which the voter receives mail and a

concise description of the location of the voter's residence;

(3) the year of the voter's birth;

(4) the number of the county election precinct in

which the voter resides;

(5) the voter's effective date of registration if an

initial certificate;

(6) the voter's registration number;

(7) an indication of the period for which the

certificate is issued;

(8) a statement explaining the circumstances under

which the voter will receive a new certificate;

(9) a space for stamping the voter's political party

affiliation;

(10) a statement that voting with the certificate by a

person other than the person in whose name the certificate is issued

is a felony;

(11) a space for the voter's signature;

(12) a statement that the voter must sign the

certificate personally, if able to sign, immediately on receipt;

(13) a space for the voter to correct the information

on the certificate followed by a signature line;

(14) the statement: "If any information on this

certificate changes or is incorrect, correct the information in the

space provided, sign below, and return this certificate to the

voter registrar.";

(15) the registrar's mailing address and telephone

number; [ and ]

(16) the jurisdictional or distinguishing number for

the following territorial units in which the voter resides, as

determined by the voter registrar:

(A) congressional district;

(B) state senatorial district;

(C) state representative district;

(D) commissioners precinct;

(E) justice precinct;

(F) city election precinct; and

(G) school district election precinct ; and

(17) an indication that the voter is a "veteran," if

the voter stated on the voter's registration application that the

voter served in the United States armed forces, including their

reserve components, an auxiliary service of one of the branches of

the armed forces, or the state military forces as defined by Section

431.001, Government Code .

SECTION 5. Section 18.066(b), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) Information furnished under this section may not

include:

(1) a voter's social security number; [ or ]

(2) the residence address of a voter whose residence

address is confidential under Section 13.004 ; or

(3) the voter's status as a veteran, if the voter

stated on the voter's registration application that the voter

served in the United States armed forces, including their reserve

components, an auxiliary service of one of the branches of the armed

forces, or the state military forces as defined by Section 431.001,

Government Code .

SECTION 6. Section 521.011, Transportation Code, is amended

to read as follows:

Sec. 521.011. SERVICES INFORMATION FOR VETERANS. (a) In

this section, "veteran" means:

(1) a person who receives [ The department and the

Texas Veterans Commission shall jointly develop a one-page

informational paper about veterans services provided by this state

for veterans who receive ]:

(A) [ (1) ] a driver's license with a designation

under Section 521.1235; or

(B) [ (2) ] a personal identification certificate

with a designation under Section 521.102 ; or

(2) a person who:

(A) served in the United States armed forces,

including their reserve components, an auxiliary service of one of

the branches of the armed forces, or the state military forces as

defined by Section 437.001, Government Code; and

(B) did not request or is not eligible for a

designation described by Subdivision (1) .

(b) The department shall provide to each applicant for an

original, renewal, corrected, or duplicate driver's license or

personal identification certificate the opportunity to voluntarily

indicate for the purposes of this section that the person is a

veteran. The department shall acknowledge that:

(1) providing this information is optional; and

(2) this information will remain confidential and will

be used only to:

(A) provide the applicant with a one-page

informational paper about veterans services provided by this state;

and

(B) provide notification of the applicant's

veteran status to the Texas Veterans Commission, which may contact

the applicant to connect the applicant with available services.

(c) The department and the Texas Veterans Commission shall

jointly develop a process to enable the department to share with the

Texas Veterans Commission a person's name, veteran status, and

residence address received under Subsection (b). The Texas

Veterans Commission may contact the person to connect the person

with veterans services provided by this state. Information

received by the department and the Texas Veterans Commission under

this section is confidential and not subject to disclosure under

Chapter 552, Government Code.

(d) The department and the Texas Veterans Commission shall:

(1) jointly develop a one-page informational paper

about veterans services provided by this state; and

(2) provide the informational paper to each person who

voluntarily indicates to the department under Subsection (b) that

the person is a veteran.

SECTION 7. Sections 521.102(c) and 521.1235(c),

Transportation Code, are repealed.

SECTION 8. The change in law made by this Act to Section

13.122(a), Election Code, applies only to a voter registration

application distributed on or after September 1, 2027. A voter

registration application distributed before September 1, 2027, is

covered by the law in effect when the application was distributed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 9. Section 521.011, Transportation Code, as amended

by this Act, applies only to an application for a driver's license

or personal identification certificate issued or renewed on or

after the effective date of this Act. An application for a driver's

license or personal identification certificate issued or renewed

before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in

effect when the license or certificate was issued or renewed, and

the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.