Bill Text: TX HB658 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to voting by voters with certain disabilities or voters who reside at a residential care facility.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-2)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB658 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB658-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to voting by voters with certain disabilities or voters who reside at a residential care facility.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-2)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB658 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB658-Comm_Sub.html
85R23672 ADM-F | |||
By: Bernal | H.B. No. 658 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 658: | |||
By: Laubenberg | C.S.H.B. No. 658 |
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relating to priority voting for voters with certain disabilities | ||
substantially impairing mobility. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 63, Election Code, is amended by adding | ||
Section 63.0013 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 63.0013. ACCEPTING VOTERS WITH CERTAIN DISABILITIES. | ||
(a) In this section, "mobility problem that substantially impairs a | ||
person's ability to ambulate" has the meaning assigned by Section | ||
681.001, Transportation Code. | ||
(b) An election officer may accept a person with a mobility | ||
problem that substantially impairs a person's ability to ambulate | ||
who is offering to vote before accepting others offering to vote at | ||
the polling place who arrived before the person. | ||
(c) Notice of the priority given to persons with a mobility | ||
problem that substantially impairs a person's ability to ambulate | ||
shall be posted: | ||
(1) at one or more locations in each polling place | ||
where it can be read by persons waiting to vote; | ||
(2) on the Internet website of the secretary of state; | ||
and | ||
(3) on each Internet website relating to elections | ||
maintained by a county. | ||
(d) The notice required by Subsection (c) must read: | ||
"Pursuant to Section 63.0013, Election Code, an election officer | ||
may give voting order priority to individuals with a mobility | ||
problem that substantially impairs the person's ability to move | ||
around. A person assisting an individual with a mobility problem | ||
may also, at the individual's request, be given voting order | ||
priority. Disabilities and conditions that may qualify you for | ||
voting order priority include paralysis, lung disease, the use of | ||
portable oxygen, cardiac deficiency, severe limitation in the | ||
ability to walk due to arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic | ||
condition, wheelchair confinement, arthritis, foot disorder, the | ||
inability to walk 200 feet without stopping to rest, or use of a | ||
brace, cane, crutch, or other assistive device." | ||
(e) A person assisting a voter in accordance with Section | ||
64.032(c) may be accepted to vote concurrently with a person | ||
accepted under Subsection (b) of this section at the voter's | ||
request. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |