87S30130 TBO-D     By: Reynolds H.C.R. No. 3       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, The 2020 election took place amidst the   unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic, but local and state   administrators rose to the occasion, embracing measures that   allowed a record number of Americans to make their voices heard in a   safe, secure, and professional process; and          WHEREAS, The For the People Act currently under consideration   in the United States Congress reflects lessons learned across the   country during recent election cycles, embracing measures to   improve the safety and security of our voting processes and to   strengthen our democracy by engaging more citizens; recognizing the   exigencies of modern life in a 24/7 economy, the legislation   includes many elements to make voting simpler and more convenient,   among them at least two weeks of early in-person voting, online and   same-day voter registration, and automatic voter registration at   motor vehicle departments and other specified government agencies;   it expands and standardizes voting by mail, provides funding for   mail-in ballot tracking, and offers standards for ballot drop   boxes; setting such national policies will ensure that every   eligible voter has equal access to the ballot box, no matter where   they reside; and          WHEREAS, Described by the League of Women Voters as "the most   expansive democracy reform legislation we have seen since the   Voting Rights Act," the For the People Act also bolsters election   security, ensuring that elections are decided by American voters   without interference from foreign adversaries; it creates a   national strategy to protect our democratic institutions,   increases oversight of election vendors, and improves federal   support for state voting system security upgrades, including paper   ballot voting systems; by requiring states to adopt independent   redistricting commissions, it ensures that voters choose their   representatives, not the other way around; moreover, it addresses   the dominance of big money and special interests in politics by   increasing transparency, bolstering oversight by the Federal   Election Commission, and fortifying ethics laws and enforcement for   violations; and          WHEREAS, The provisions in the For the People Act enjoy   overwhelming public support; a recent Global Strategy Group/ALG   Research survey of likely general election voters in a dozen states   found 83 percent agreement for the bill, with provisions to reduce   the influence of money in politics receiving nearly universal   support; and          WHEREAS, Americans can take great pride in the resiliency of   our electoral system and the determination of the voting public   even in the face of historic upheaval, and by passing this   legislation, Congress can provide an even sturdier foundation for   government of the people, by the people, and for the people; now,   therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas,   3rd Called Session, hereby respectfully urge the United States   Congress to pass the For the People Act; and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official   copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to   the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of   Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the   members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that   this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a   memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.