republic-os/legislation/us/states/tx/89r/hb-3697.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to the text on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail."
description: "Relating to the text on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tx"
legislature: "Texas Legislature"
session: "89R"
identifier: "HB 3697"
citation: "Texas HB 3697 (89R)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections--Administration (I0277)", "Elections--Early Voting (I0260)", "Elections--General (I0310)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cortez", "Plesa", "Zaffirini"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 59
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2025-03-04"
last_action: "2025-06-20"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8dee6153-63aa-4b95-a0a2-2c57aeed6069"
source_url: "ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/89R/billhistory/house_bills/HB03600_HB03699/HB 3697.xml"
source_hash: "1f69d5a123bab4ded3a7a86ebf92ed67a31413727ff10b0b11396ca45092e163"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tx"]
---

# Texas HB 3697 (89R) — Relating to the text on an application for a ballot to be voted by mail.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB03697I.HTM)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB03697E.HTM)
3. **House Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB03697H.HTM)
4. **Senate Committee Report** (committee substitute) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB03697S.HTM)
5. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB03697F.HTM)

## Votes

- passage — **106–30** (pass) · upper
- Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSHB 3697 be placed on its third reading and final passage. — **29–2** (pass) · upper
- passage — **121–22** (pass) · lower
- passage — **126–14** (pass) · lower
- passage — **106–30** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Cortez — primary (person)
- Plesa — primary (person)
- Zaffirini — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-03-04** Filed `filing`
- **2025-03-25** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-03-25** Referred to Elections `referral-committee`
- **2025-04-24** Considered in public hearing
- **2025-04-24** Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
- **2025-04-24** Left pending in committee
- **2025-04-28** Considered in formal meeting
- **2025-04-28** Reported favorably w/o amendment(s) `committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-30** Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator `filing`
- **2025-04-30** Committee report distributed
- **2025-05-01** Committee report sent to Calendars
- **2025-05-05** Considered in Calendars
- **2025-05-07** Placed on General State Calendar
- **2025-05-07** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2025-05-07** Passed to engrossment
- **2025-05-07** Record vote
- **2025-05-07** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-08** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2025-05-08** Passed `passage`
- **2025-05-08** Record vote
- **2025-05-08** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-08** Reported engrossed
- **2025-05-09** Received from the House `introduction`
- **2025-05-13** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2025-05-13** Referred to State Affairs `referral-committee`
- **2025-05-22** Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- **2025-05-22** Considered in public hearing
- **2025-05-22** Vote taken in committee
- **2025-05-23** Reported favorably as substituted `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-05-23** Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
- **2025-05-23** Committee report printed and distributed
- **2025-05-28** Placed on local & uncontested calendar
- **2025-05-28** Placed on intent calendar
- **2025-05-28** Rules suspended-Regular order of business
- **2025-05-28** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2025-05-28** Amendment(s) offered `amendment-introduction`
- **2025-05-28** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2025-05-28** Vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-28** Passed to 3rd reading as amended `amendment-passage`
- **2025-05-28** Vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-28** Three day rule suspended
- **2025-05-28** Record vote
- **2025-05-28** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2025-05-28** Passed `passage`
- **2025-05-28** Record vote
- **2025-05-29** Senate passage as amended reported `amendment-passage`
- **2025-05-29** Senate Amendments distributed
- **2025-05-29** Senate Amendments Analysis distributed
- **2025-05-30** House concurs in Senate amendment(s)
- **2025-05-30** Record vote
- **2025-05-30** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2025-05-30** Text of Senate Amendment(s)
- **2025-05-30** House concurs in Senate amendment(s)-reported
- **2025-05-30** Reported enrolled `enrolled`
- **2025-05-31** Signed in the House `passage`
- **2025-06-01** Signed in the Senate `passage`
- **2025-06-01** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-06-20** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-06-20** Effective on 9/1/25 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8dee6153-63aa-4b95-a0a2-2c57aeed6069`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Texas legislature records).