BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 658
85R23672 ADM-F	By: Bernal et al. (Hughes)
	State Affairs
	5/18/2017
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Concerned citizens note that a voter with a medical condition or disability that impairs the voter's mobility may be required to wait hours in line to vote, potentially putting the voter's health at risk. H.B. 658 addresses this issue by granting such individuals priority for voting.

 

H.B. 658 amends current law relating to priority voting for voters with certain disabilities substantially impairing mobility.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 63, Election Code, by adding Section 63.0013, as follows:

 

Sec. 63.0013.� ACCEPTING VOTERS WITH CERTAIN DISABILITIES. (a) Defines "mobility problem that substantially impairs a person's ability to ambulate."

 

(b) Authorizes an election officer to 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) Requires that notice of the priority given to persons with a mobility problem that substantially impairs a person's ability to ambulate be posted at one or more locations in each polling place where it can be read by persons waiting to vote, on the Internet website of the Texas secretary of state, and on each Internet website relating to elections maintained by a county.

 

(d) Sets forth language of the notice required by Subsection (c).

 

(e) Authorizes a person assisting a voter in accordance with Section 64.032(c) (relating to certain individuals assisting a voter) to be accepted to vote concurrently with a person accepted under Subsection (b) of this section at the voter's request.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2017.