Voting Bill Tracking

85th Legislative Session

The bills below could impact people with disabilities’ access to vote in Texas.

Voting Bill — Passed

Voting bill passed during the 85th Texas Legislature
BILLAUTHORDESCRIPTION, REMARKS, LAST ACTION
HB 534Mike SchofieldRelating to priority voting for voters with certain disabilities substantially impairing mobility.
no datano dataRemarks: Allows individuals with a mobility-related disability to have priority to vote and bypass waiting lines at polling places.
no datano dataLast Action: 09-01-17 G Earliest effective date

Voting Bills — Not Passed

Voting bills not passed during the 85th Texas Legislature
BILLAUTHORDESCRIPTION, REMARKS, LAST ACTION
HB 534Mike SchofieldRelating to the assistance of a voter.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have required that a person supporting another person to vote to be a registered voter in the county where the person is being supported. Would have also required the supporter to show photo identification.
no datano dataLast Action: 02-16-17 H Introduced and referred to committee on House Elections
HB 2701Gina HinojosaRelating to early voting by certain persons who are caretakers of persons with certain disabilities.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have directed the Secretary of State to create a unique voter ballot application for a person who cannot appear at the polling place on election day because they are the permanent caretaker of a person who has a disability and requires the caretaker to protect their life or safety.
no datano dataLast Action: 04-24-17 H Committee action pending House Elections
HB 2815Tom OliversonRelating to early in-person voting by voters who reside at a residential care facility.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have required a hospital, nursing home, retirement center or other long-term care facility with a significant number of voters to make space available for an early voting site.
no datano dataLast Action: 05-02-17 H Reported from committee as substituted House Elections
HB 3464Mike SchofieldRelating to early in-person voting by voters who reside at a residential care facility.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have required a residential care facility to make space available for an early voting station when there are a significant number of applications from residents of the facility to vote by mail on the grounds of age or disability, as determined by the early voting clerk.
no datano dataLast Action: 05-02-17 H Reported favorably from committee on House Elections
HB 4131Pat FallonRelating to assisting voters and other voting processes and procedures.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have added new restrictions on who can assist a voter, created a new offense of allowing an ineligible voter to receive assistance, revised the voter assistance affidavit, and created new penalties for providing or offering to provide unauthorized assistance to a voter. Would have also created criminal offenses for unlawfully assisting a voter voting by mail and paid vote harvesting.
no datano dataLast Action: 05-11-17 H Set on the House Calendar
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