Bill Text: TX HB4539 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to elections.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-26 - Referred to Elections [HB4539 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB4539-Introduced.html
| By: Klick | H.B. No. 4539 | |
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| relating to elections. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 18.069, Election Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 18.069. VOTING HISTORY. (a) Not later than the 30th | ||
| day after the date of the primary, runoff primary, or general | ||
| election or any special election ordered by the governor, the | ||
| registrar shall electronically submit to the secretary of state the | ||
| record of each voter participating in the election. The record must | ||
| include a notation of whether the voter: | ||
| (1) voted on election day;[ |
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| (2) voted early by personal appearance;[ |
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| (3) voted early by mail under Chapter 86;[ |
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| (4) voted early by mail under Chapter 101; or | ||
| (5) voted provisionally and the reason the voter cast | ||
| a provisional ballot. | ||
| (b) The secretary of state shall adopt rules to implement | ||
| this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 33.035, Election Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 33.035. INELIGIBILITY OF PERSON CONVICTED OF ELECTION | ||
| OFFENSE. A person is ineligible to serve as a watcher in an | ||
| election if the person has been finally convicted of: | ||
| (1) a felony; or | ||
| (2) an offense in connection with conduct directly | ||
| attributable to an election. | ||
| SECTION 3. Section 61.014(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (b) A person may not use any mechanical or electronic means | ||
| to record [ |
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| station except that a person occupying a voting station may use a | ||
| mechanical or electronic device to photograph the person's | ||
| completed ballot. | ||
| SECTION 4. Section 62.0111(b), Election Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| (b) The secretary of state shall prescribe the wording of a | ||
| notice posted under this section, which may include a description | ||
| of the exception provided by Section 61.014(b). | ||
| SECTION 5. Section 85.072, Election Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: | ||
| (f) The early voting clerk shall provide a current copy of | ||
| the register for posting on the Internet website of the authority | ||
| ordering the election, if the authority maintains a website, each | ||
| day early voting is conducted. At a minimum, the voter registration | ||
| number for each voter listed in the register must be posted. | ||
| SECTION 6. Title 16, Election Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Chapter 279 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 279. CYBERSECURITY OF ELECTION SYSTEMS | ||
| Sec. 279.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "election data" | ||
| means voter registration information and other election-related | ||
| documents, systems, and technology. | ||
| Sec. 279.002. ELECTION CYBERSECURITY: SECRETARY OF | ||
| STATE. (a) The secretary of state shall adopt rules establishing | ||
| best practices for the electronic storage and security of election | ||
| data. | ||
| (b) The secretary of state shall offer training on best | ||
| practices: | ||
| (1) on an annual basis, to all appropriate personnel | ||
| in the secretary of state's office; and | ||
| (2) on request, to county election officers in this | ||
| state. | ||
| (c) If the secretary of state becomes aware of a breach of | ||
| cybersecurity that impacts election data, the secretary shall | ||
| immediately notify the members of the standing committees of each | ||
| house of the legislature with jurisdiction over elections. | ||
| Sec. 279.003. ELECTION CYBERSECURITY: VOTER REGISTRARS | ||
| AND COUNTY CLERKS. (a) A voter registrar or county clerk shall | ||
| request training on cybersecurity: | ||
| (1) from the secretary of state; and | ||
| (2) on an annual basis from another provider of | ||
| cybersecurity training, if the registrar or clerk has available | ||
| state funds for that purpose. | ||
| (b) If a voter registrar or county clerk becomes aware of a | ||
| breach of cybersecurity that impacts election data, the registrar | ||
| or clerk shall immediately notify the secretary of state. | ||
| (c) To the extent that state funds are available for the | ||
| purpose, a voter registrar or county clerk shall implement endpoint | ||
| security to ensure that all devices with access to election data | ||
| comply to the highest extent possible with rules adopted by the | ||
| secretary of state under Section 279.002. | ||
| SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
