TITLE: Relating to creation of the offense of registering to vote by persons who are not citizens of the United States.

SUMMARY: Relating to creation of the offense of registering to vote by persons who are not citizens of the United States.

FULL TEXT:
AN ACT relating to creation of the offense of registering to vote by persons who are not citizens of the United States. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 13, Election Code, is amended by adding Section 13.008 to read as follows: Sec. 13.008. UNLAWFUL APPLICATION BY PERSON WHO IS NOT UNITED STATES CITIZEN. (a) A person commits an offense if the person is not a citizen of the United States and the person: (1) submits an application for registration as a voter in this state; or (2) requests, commands, or attempts to induce another to submit on the person's behalf a registration application. (b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony. SECTION 2. Section 13.122(a), Election Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) In addition to the other statements and spaces for entering information that appear on an officially prescribed registration application form, each official form must include: (1) the statement: "I understand that giving false information to procure a voter registration is perjury and a crime under state and federal law and that submitting a voter registration as a noncitizen is also a crime under state law."; (2) a space for the applicant's registration number; (3) a space for the applicant's Texas driver's license number or number of a personal identification card issued by the Department of Public Safety; (4) a space for the applicant's telephone number; (5) a space for the applicant's social security number; (6) a space for the applicant's sex; (7) a statement indicating that the furnishing of the applicant's telephone number and sex is optional; (8) a space or box for indicating whether the applicant or voter is submitting new registration information or a change in current registration information; (9) a statement instructing a voter who is using the form to make a change in current registration information to enter the voter's name and the changed information in the appropriate spaces on the form; (10) a statement that if the applicant declines to register to vote, that fact will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes; (11) a statement that if the applicant does register to vote, information regarding the agency or office to which the application is submitted will remain confidential and will be used only for voter registration purposes; (12) a space or box for indicating whether the applicant is interested in working as an election judge; (13) a statement warning that a conviction of an offense under this code [for making a false statement] may result in imprisonment for up to the maximum amount of time provided by law, a fine of up to the maximum amount provided by law, or both the imprisonment and the fine; and (14) any other voter registration information required by federal law or considered appropriate and required by the secretary of state. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.