Texas 89th Legislature, Regular Session Status: Introduced

HB 649 — Relating to the electronic transmission of a ballot to a voter voting early by mail on the ground of absence from the county of residence.

Last action — Referred to Elections: Mar 4 2025 3:37PM

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 89th Legislature, Regular Session. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Relating to the electronic transmission of a ballot to a voter voting early by mail on the ground of absence from the county of residence.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read HB 649 on the official Texas source →

How this bill changes current law

5 changes Share ↗

Compared against the Texas statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends 5 section(s) of the Texas statutes: Section 84.002(a), Election Code, Section 84.011(a), Election Code, Section 86.003(a), Election Code, Section 86.0031, Election Code, Section 86.006, Election Code.

  • Section 84.002(a), Election Code

    or an e-mail address for the applicant to which the ballot is sent by electronic transmission

    amended

  • Section 84.011(a), Election Code

    : (i) or (ii) that the applicant wishes to receive the balloting materials by electronic transmission and provide an e-mail address;

    amended

  • Section 86.003(a), Election Code

    The → Except as provided by Section 86.0031, the

    amended

  • Section 86.0031, Election Code

    Sec. 86.0031. ELECTRONIC METHOD OF PROVIDING BALLOT. (a) A voter voting by mail on the ground of absence from the voter's county of residence may elect to receive the balloting materials by electronic transmission on the voter's application for an early voting ballot to be voted by mail. (b) Balloting materials to be sent by electronic transmission under this section include: (1) the appropriate ballot; (2) ballot instructions, including instructions that inform a voter that the ballot must be returned by mail to be counted; (3) instructions prescribed by the secretary of state on how to create a ballot envelope and carrier envelope or signature sheet for the ballot; and (4) a list of certified write-in candidates, if applicable. (c) The balloting materials may be provided by e-mail to the voter: (1) in a portable document format or similar file type or through a scanned format; or (2) by any other method of electronic transmission authorized by the secretary of state in writing. (d) An e-mail address used under this section to request balloting materials is confidential and does not constitute public information for purposes of Chapter 552, Government Code. An early voting clerk shall ensure that a voter's e-mail address provided under this section is excluded from public disclosure. (e) The secretary of state shall prescribe procedures to implement this section.

    amended

  • Section 86.006, Election Code

    A → Except as provided by Subsection (a-3), a (a-3) A marked ballot received through electronic transmission as provided by Section 86.0031 shall be returned to the early voting clerk by mail or common or contract carrier through the procedures prescribed by the secretary of state.

    amended

Action History

  1. Referred to Elections

  2. Read first time

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 183 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (183)

183 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 183 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

elections technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 649 do?
Relating to the electronic transmission of a ballot to a voter voting early by mail on the ground of absence from the county of residence.
Who sponsors HB 649?
HB 649 is sponsored by John Bucy III.
What is the current status of HB 649?
This bill died with 89th Legislature, Regular Session. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HB 649?
Track HB 649 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB 649

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HB 649

Last checked for changes 4 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →