The bills below could impact people with disabilities’ access to vote in Texas.
Contents
Voting Bill — Passed
| BILL | AUTHOR | DESCRIPTION, REMARKS, LAST ACTION |
|---|---|---|
| HB 534 | Mike Schofield | Relating to priority voting for voters with certain disabilities substantially impairing mobility. |
| no data | no data | Remarks: Allows individuals with a mobility-related disability to have priority to vote and bypass waiting lines at polling places. |
| no data | no data | Last Action: 09-01-17 G Earliest effective date |
Voting Bills — Not Passed
| BILL | AUTHOR | DESCRIPTION, REMARKS, LAST ACTION |
|---|---|---|
| HB 534 | Mike Schofield | Relating to the assistance of a voter. |
| no data | no data | Remarks: 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 data | no data | Last Action: 02-16-17 H Introduced and referred to committee on House Elections |
| HB 2701 | Gina Hinojosa | Relating to early voting by certain persons who are caretakers of persons with certain disabilities. |
| no data | no data | Remarks: 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 data | no data | Last Action: 04-24-17 H Committee action pending House Elections |
| HB 2815 | Tom Oliverson | Relating to early in-person voting by voters who reside at a residential care facility. |
| no data | no data | Remarks: 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 data | no data | Last Action: 05-02-17 H Reported from committee as substituted House Elections |
| HB 3464 | Mike Schofield | Relating to early in-person voting by voters who reside at a residential care facility. |
| no data | no data | Remarks: 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 data | no data | Last Action: 05-02-17 H Reported favorably from committee on House Elections |
| HB 4131 | Pat Fallon | Relating to assisting voters and other voting processes and procedures. |
| no data | no data | Remarks: 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 data | no data | Last Action: 05-11-17 H Set on the House Calendar |