Bill requiring voters to show proof of citizenship clears Texas Senate
In a quick vote after little debate, the Texas Senate approved a bill that would require voters to provide proof of citizenship before registering and would restrict them to voting in congressional races only if they do not.
The bill, a Republican legislative priority, still needs approval in the state House before it can become law. It would cost state officials nearly $2 million over the next five years to implement, according to the bill’s fiscal note, which doesn’t include any costs expected to be borne by local election officials.
Senate Bill 16, written by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, and supported by all Senate Republicans, is modeled after an Arizona law that requires proof of citizenship to vote in state and local elections, but there are some important differences.
For one thing, it would apply to already registered voters in Texas, rather than just new applicants. It would bar voters who don’t provide citizenship proof from voting in presidential elections, as well as state and local ones — a provision that federal courts have so far blocked in Arizona. And it prescribes new duties for local election officials to continually check the citizenship status of voters on their rolls — with potential felony charges for lapses.
https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/texasregion/2025/04/02/texas-bill-requiring-proof-of-citizenship-to-vote-advances/82775008007/
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