SB1540 - Relating to maintaining the confidentiality of the personal information of election officials and their employees.

      S.B. No. 1540         AN ACT   relating to maintaining the confidentiality of the personal   information of election officials and their employees.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 1.005(4-a), Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:                (4-a)  "Election official" means:                      (A)  a county clerk;                      (B)  a permanent or temporary deputy county clerk;                      (C)  an elections administrator;                      (D)  a permanent or temporary employee of an   elections administrator;                      (E)  an election judge;                      (F)  an alternate election judge;                      (G)  an early voting clerk;                      (H)  a deputy early voting clerk;                      (I)  an election clerk;                      (J)  the presiding judge of an early voting ballot   board;                      (K)  the alternate presiding judge of an early   voting ballot board;                      (L)  a member of an early voting ballot board;                      (M)  the chair of a signature verification   committee;                      (N)  the vice chair of a signature verification   committee;                      (O)  a member of a signature verification   committee;                      (P)  the presiding judge of a central counting   station;                      (Q)  the alternate presiding judge of a central   counting station;                      (R)  a central counting station manager;                      (S)  a central counting station clerk;                      (T)  a tabulation supervisor;                      (U)  an assistant to a tabulation supervisor;   [ and ]                      (V)  a chair of a county political party holding a   primary election or a runoff primary election ; and                       (W)     the chair of a state executive committee of a   political party that nominates by primary election under Subtitle   B, Title 10 .          SECTION 2.  Section 552.1175(a), Government Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  This section applies only to:                (1)  current or honorably retired peace officers as   defined by Article 2A.001, Code of Criminal Procedure, or special   investigators as described by Article 2A.002, Code of Criminal   Procedure;                (2)  current or honorably retired county jailers as   defined by Section 1701.001, Occupations Code;                (3)  current or former employees of the Texas   Department of Criminal Justice or of the predecessor in function of   the department or any division of the department;                (4)  commissioned security officers as defined by   Section 1702.002, Occupations Code;                (5)  a current or former district attorney, criminal   district attorney, or county or municipal attorney whose   jurisdiction includes any criminal law or child protective services   matters;                (5-a)  a current or former employee of a district   attorney, criminal district attorney, or county or municipal   attorney whose jurisdiction includes any criminal law or child   protective services matters;                (6)  officers and employees of a community supervision   and corrections department established under Chapter 76 who perform   a duty described by Section 76.004(b);                (7)  criminal investigators of the United States as   described by Article 2A.002(a), Code of Criminal Procedure;                (8)  current or honorably retired police officers and   inspectors of the United States Federal Protective Service;                (9)  current and former employees of the office of the   attorney general who are or were assigned to a division of that   office the duties of which involve law enforcement or are performed   under Chapter 231, Family Code;                (10)  current or former juvenile probation and   detention officers certified by the Texas Juvenile Justice   Department, or the predecessors in function of the department,   under Title 12, Human Resources Code;                (11)  current or former employees of a juvenile justice   program or facility, as those terms are defined by Section 261.405,   Family Code;                (12)  current or former employees of the Texas Juvenile   Justice Department or the predecessors in function of the   department;                (13)  federal judges and state judges as defined by   Section 1.005, Election Code;                (14)  current or former employees of the Texas Civil   Commitment Office or of the predecessor in function of the office or   a division of the office;                (15)  a current or former member of the United States   Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marine Corps, an auxiliary   service of one of those branches of the armed forces, or the Texas   military forces, as that term is defined by Section 437.001;                (16)  a current or former child protective services   caseworker, adult protective services caseworker, or investigator   for the Department of Family and Protective Services or a current or   former employee of a department contractor performing child   protective services caseworker, adult protective services   caseworker, or investigator functions for the contractor on behalf   of the department;                (17)  an elected public officer;                (18)  a firefighter or volunteer firefighter or   emergency medical services personnel as defined by Section 773.003,   Health and Safety Code; [ and ]                (19)  a current or former United States attorney,   assistant United States attorney, federal public defender, deputy   federal public defender, or assistant federal public defender ; or                 (20)     a current or former election official, as defined   by Section 1.005, Election Code, or employee, volunteer, or   designee of an election official, or an employee of the secretary of   state's office who performs duties relating to elections .          SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   a request for information that is received by a governmental body or   an officer on or after the effective date of this Act.  A request for   information that was received before the effective date of this Act   is governed by the law in effect on the date the request was   received, and the former law is continued in effect for that   purpose.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.               ______________________________ ______________________________      President of the Senate Speaker of the House                 I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1540 passed the Senate on   May 1, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0; May 29, 2025,   Senate refused to concur in House amendments and requested   appointment of Conference Committee; May 31, 2025, House granted   request of the Senate; May 31, 2025, Senate adopted Conference   Committee Report by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.       ______________________________   Secretary of the Senate                I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1540 passed the House, with   amendments, on May 28, 2025, by the following vote:  Yeas 134,   Nays 1, three present not voting; May 31, 2025, House granted   request of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee;   June 1, 2025, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the   following vote:  Yeas 128, Nays 9, two present not voting.       ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House            Approved:     ______________________________               Date       ______________________________              Governor