HB1216 - Relating to the voter registration powers of volunteer deputy registrars.

      By: Hinojosa H.B. No. 1216       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the voter registration powers of volunteer deputy   registrars.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 13.032, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 13.032.  PROHIBITION ON REFUSING TO APPOINT. A   registrar may not refuse to appoint as a volunteer deputy   registrar:                (1)  a person eligible for appointment under Section   13.031(d); [ or ]                (2)  any person on the basis of sex, race, creed, color,   or national origin or ancestry ; or                 (3)     an otherwise eligible person that distributes   voter registration application forms provided by the secretary of   state under Section 13.002 in accordance with any procedures   prescribed under Section 13.038(b) .          SECTION 2.  Section 13.033(b), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (b)  If a person is to be appointed, the registrar shall   prepare a certificate of appointment in duplicate containing:                (1)  the date of appointment;                (2)  the statement: "I, ____________, Voter Registrar   for ____________ County, do hereby appoint ____________ as a   volunteer deputy registrar [ for ____________ County ].";                (3)  the person's residence address;                (4)  the person's voter registration number, if any;                (5)  a statement that the term of the appointment   expires December 31 of an even-numbered year; and                (6)  a statement that the appointment terminates on the   person's final conviction for an offense for failure to deliver a   registration application and may terminate on the registrar's   determination that the person failed to adequately review a   registration application, intentionally destroyed or physically   altered a registration application, or engaged in any other   activity that conflicts with the responsibilities of a volunteer   deputy registrar under this chapter.          SECTION 3.  Section 13.037(a), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (a)  A person may not receive compensation from any [ the ]   county for service as a volunteer deputy registrar unless   compensation is authorized by the commissioners court of that   county .          SECTION 4.  Section 13.038, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 13.038.  POWERS GENERALLY. (a) A volunteer deputy   registrar may distribute voter registration application forms   throughout the county in which the deputy was appointed and receive   registration applications submitted to the deputy in person.           (b)     A volunteer deputy registrar may serve as a volunteer   deputy registrar throughout this state regardless of the county in   which the deputy was appointed.   A volunteer deputy registrar may   distribute a voter registration application in the form prescribed   by the secretary of state under Section 31.002 throughout this   state and receive an application in that form submitted to the   deputy in person, regardless of the county in which the application   was printed.   The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to   implement this subsection.          SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.