Bill Caption

Relating to a requirement that a voting system used in an election in this state be manufactured, stored, and held in the United States by a company headquartered in the United States.

Fiscal Notes

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Bill Analysis

SB 1387 would require that voting system or voting system equipment to be approved for use in elections be manufactured, stored, and held in the United States and sold by a company whose headquarters and parent company's headquarters, if applicable, are located in the US. This requirement would go into effect beginning September 1, 2021.  The bill specifies that a voting system is considered manufactured in the US if final assembly occurs in the US and all firmware and software are installed and tested in the US. 

Additionally, SB 1387 would require the secretary of state to conduct a comprehensive study to determine the feasibility of requiring voting systems to have all components manufactured in the United States and to report these findings to the legislature no later than January 1, 2023.

Vote Recommendation Notes

Texas Action supports SB 1387 because it espouses the limited government and individual liberty principles by protecting Texas elections. This bill would add additional security to Texas elections by ensuring foreign interests do not control or have access to any software containing US citizen vote tallies or voter records.