The Texas House approved Senate Bill 54 on Wednesday, a bill that repeals an amendment made earlier in the session related to which ballot a registered voter receives after changing addresses within the same county.

"SB 54 will repeal the changes made to election codes . . . that was made by amendment to Senate bill 2217 during the regular session," Representative Hughes told the House when he laid out the bill and offered the floor substitute explaining the intent to revisit the process during the interim.

Supporters said county election officials raised legitimate implementation questions after the earlier change and that rescinding the provision temporarily will allow lawmakers time to hold interim hearings and work with the Secretary of State’s office and local administrators to resolve technical and procedural issues.

During floor colloquy Representative Shaheen and others noted the amendment was intended to address how to give a voter the correct ballot (for example, when the move affects city or ISD races) and avoid errors at busy polling places. The earlier May amendment had passed the House unanimously (138–0) after advocates said it would clarify processing for voters who had recently changed addresses within a county.

Critics on the floor said the original amendment served voter representation by ensuring a voter could cast a ballot appropriate to the district where they now reside. Representative Shaheen described the situation as technically complex and said the repeal would allow the Legislature and stakeholders to sort through scenarios such as limited vs. full ballots, provisional processes, and how federal voting-rights requirements interact with state practice.

On final passage the clerk recorded 86 ayes and 46 nays; the bill passed the third reading and was reported passed by the House for the purposes of the legislative calendar.

Ending: Supporters said SB 54 buys time for a carefully managed interim review with county elections officials and the Secretary of State; critics urged prompt action to ensure voters cast ballots for the representatives who serve their current residences.

Note: This article summarizes floor debate and the House final vote; the transcript shows multiple tallies and procedural steps during the day as the chamber considered other measures.