Bill Text: TX SB142 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Relating to registration powers of volunteer deputy registrars.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [SB142 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-SB142-Introduced.html

---

89R4008 JDK-D
By: Menéndez, et al. S.B. No. 142

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to registration powers of volunteer deputy registrars.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 13.031, Election Code, is amended by
adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f) A volunteer deputy registrar appointed under this
section may serve as a volunteer deputy registrar throughout the
state regardless of which county appointed the deputy registrar.
The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to implement this
subsection.
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 and receive registration applications
submitted to the deputy in person.
(b) A volunteer deputy registrar may distribute a voter
registration application in the form prescribed by the secretary of
state under Section 31.002 throughout the state and receive an
application in that form submitted to the deputy in person,
regardless of the county in which the application was printed.
(c) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to
implement this section.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.