Relating to requiring a person to submit proof of citizenship to register to vote; creating criminal offenses.
HB 5337 would require most people registering to vote in Texas to submit documentary proof of U.S. citizenship with their voter registration application. Acceptable documents include a U.S. passport, certified birth certificate from a U.S. jurisdiction, citizenship papers, certain federal immigration/citizenship identification, or a consular report of birth abroad. The bill also directs election officials to verify citizenship through state and federal databases when proof is not provided, and it creates a process for applicants who cannot be immediately verified to be placed on a limited federal ballot rather than a full ballot.
The bill further applies to existing registered voters who registered before September 1, 2025 and have not already provided proof of citizenship. County registrars and the secretary of state would be required to review those voters against available databases, mark unverified voters with an “F” notation, and notify them of the need to provide proof of citizenship to regain full-ballot status. The bill also adds new notice, training, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for registrars, volunteer deputy registrars, the secretary of state, and the attorney general.
HB 5337 would substantially amend the Texas Election Code by adding a citizenship-document requirement to voter registration, creating a new verification regime, and establishing a limited federal ballot system for applicants whose citizenship cannot be confirmed. It would also add criminal penalties, including state jail felony offenses, for knowingly failing to reject an ineligible registration or knowingly registering a noncitizen. The bill expands the role of the secretary of state, county registrars, and the attorney general in verifying citizenship, investigating questionable registrations, and prosecuting offenses, while also requiring changes to registration forms and election procedures.
The available context shows the bill moving through the House Elections Committee without recorded floor debate or vote details in the provided materials, so there is no documented opposition or support from transcripts. Based on the bill’s subject matter and structure, it appears to be framed by supporters as an election-integrity measure focused on confirming eligibility before full registration. At the same time, the bill’s creation of new verification burdens, ballot restrictions, and criminal penalties suggests it would likely be viewed as a significant tightening of voter-registration rules.
The main points of contention are likely to be the documentary proof requirement, the use of database matching to determine citizenship, and the limited federal ballot mechanism for people who cannot immediately prove citizenship. Critics would likely focus on the risk of eligible voters being delayed, misidentified, or placed on restricted ballots, especially if records are incomplete or inconsistent across databases. Supporters would likely emphasize preventing noncitizen registration and strengthening election administration. The bill also raises concerns about enforcement authority, because it authorizes attorney general involvement and creates felony offenses for election officials and registrants in certain circumstances.