SECTION 81.13. Allowable Uses of Chapter 19 Funds

(a) Chapter 19 funds expenditures must comply with the criteria of "reasonable and necessary" as established by Texas Grant Management Standards (TxGMS) and may only be used for the following activities:

(1) Increase the number of registered voters in the state.

(2) Maintain and report an accurate list of the number of registered voters.

(3) Increase the efficiency of the voter registration office through the use of technological equipment.

(4) If the registrar's county has a population of less than 55,000, defray the cost to the registrar's county of keeping the polling places in the county open during the early voting period as required under Texas Election Code §§85.005(c), 85.006(e), and 85.064(d). In elections where the county clerk is the early voting clerk and the commissioners court has not created a county elections administrator under Texas Election Code §31.031, the costs must be in consultation and agreement with the county clerk or the county officer to whom election duties and functions have been transferred as defined in Texas Election Code §31.091(1).

(b) All Chapter 19 funding requests submitted to the Agency must identify which of these purposes the requested item(s) will benefit.

(c) All Chapter 19 requests must include a certification that the Commissioners Court did not consider the availability of Chapter 19 funds in adopting the county budget for the office of voter registrar.

(d) If there is a question regarding whether an item or service is payable from Chapter 19 funds, the Agency will review the eligibility prior to the purchase upon request by the county.

Source Note: The provisions of this §81.13 adopted to be effective October 1, 1995, 20 TexReg 7277; amended to be effective January 3, 2007, 31 TexReg 10755; amended to be effective December 30, 2010, 35 TexReg 11569; amended to be effective January 17, 2024, 49 TexReg 133