By: Middleton S.B. No. 2716               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to procedures for challenging voter registration based on   personal knowledge and publicly available records.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Chapter 16, Election Code, is amended by adding   Section 16.0011 to read as follows:          Sec. 16.0011.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:                (1)  "Personal knowledge" means knowledge of a fact   that a person has directly observed or experienced, rather than   knowledge that has been gained from another source, as defined in   Black's Law Dictionary.                (2)  "Publicly available materials" means information   accessible to the general public, including but not limited to   obituaries, property records, court filings, government-maintained   public databases, and official government notices, that provide   evidence relevant to a voter's eligibility under this code.          SECTION 2.  Section 16.091, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 16.091.  CHALLENGE OF REGISTRATION. (a) A registered   voter of the county in which another voter is registered may   challenge the registration of that voter by submitting a written   statement to the registrar. The statement must:                (1)  identify each voter being challenged;                (2)  include the specific grounds for each challenge;                (3)  be based on:                      (A) the personal knowledge of the challenger, as   defined under Section 16.0011(1); or                      (B) information derived from publicly available   materials, as defined under Section 16.0011(2);   and                (4)  be accompanied by an affidavit executed by the   challenger under penalty of perjury, affirming that the challenge   is based on personal knowledge or publicly available materials and   not hearsay or speculative evidence.          (b)  A challenger may submit multiple challenges under one   affidavit, provided that each challenge independently satisfies   the requirements of Subsection (a).          SECTION 3.  Section 16.092, Election Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 16.092.  SWORN STATEMENT REQUIRED. (a) A challenge   under this subchapter must be made in writing and must:                (1)  identify each voter being challenged;                (2)  include the specific grounds for each challenge;                (3)  be based on:                      (A) the personal knowledge of the challenger, as   defined under Section 16.0011(1); or                      (B) information derived from publicly available   materials, as defined under Section 16.0011(2);   and                (4)  be accompanied by an affidavit executed by the   challenger under penalty of perjury, affirming that the challenge   is based on personal knowledge or publicly available materials and   not hearsay or speculative evidence.          (b)  A challenger may submit multiple challenges under one   affidavit, provided that each challenge independently satisfies   the requirements of Subsection (a).          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.