Bill Text: CA SB928 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Homeless individuals: voter registration, driver's licenses, and identification cards.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From committee without further action. [SB928 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SB928-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 928 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Senator Liu
FEBRUARY 1, 2016
An act to amend Section 2138 of the Elections Code, and to add
Sections 12811.2 and 13005.1 to the Vehicle Code, relating to
homeless individuals.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 928, as introduced, Liu. Homeless individuals: voter
registration, driver's licenses, and identification cards.
Existing law requires a county elections official to, among other
things, provide certain voter registration cards in sufficient
quantities to any individuals or organizations that wish to
distribute the cards, except as specified. Existing law requires the
individuals and organizations distributing those voter registration
cards who receive completed voter registration cards to return the
completed cards to the county elections official or deposit those
cards in the postal service within 3 days of receipt from a voter.
This bill would require a homeless shelter that registers a person
to vote to keep a record of the person it has registered to vote,
including certain information about the person, and to transmit that
information to certain government entities at least once per year.
Existing law requires each driver's license issued by the
Department of Motor Vehicles to include, among other things, the
licensee's mailing address. Existing law requires an identification
card issued by the department to resemble in appearance, so far as is
practicable, a driver's license issued by the department.
This bill would authorize an applicant who is a homeless
individual to list the shelter, public space, cross street, or post
office where he or she is living as his or her address on a driver's
license or identification card.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) The right to vote is instrumental in ensuring a
well-functioning democracy and further ensures that its citizens'
voices are being heard and the services that are tantamount to their
survival are being adequately distributed.
(b) Voter turnout is constantly dropping. In the 2014
gubernatorial election the turnout of voting-age individuals was 42.2
percent, down from 53.8 percent in 2010. In municipal elections the
numbers are often lower.
(c) Among the dwindling number of voters, homeless citizens often
do not feel enfranchised enough to vote. Their disenfranchisement
stems from not knowing that they are eligible to vote or where they
can register to vote, or both.
(d) We have a duty to remove social barriers that may impede any
citizen from exercising his or her right to vote in our democracy.
SEC. 2. It is the intent of the Legislature to do all of the
following:
(a) Ensure all California citizens feel enfranchised and have the
opportunity to vote regardless of housing status.
(b) Allow homeless shelters to act as places where the community
can register to vote.
(c) Allow homeless shelters to act as polling places for the
precincts they serve.
SEC. 3. Section 2138 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
2138. (a) Individuals and organizations
distributing voter registration cards pursuant to subdivision (b) of
Section 2158 and who receive completed voter registration cards from
voters shall return the completed cards to the county elections
official or shall deposit the cards in the postal service within
three days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays, of
receipt from a voter.
(b) (1) A homeless shelter that registers a person to vote shall
keep a record of the person it has registered to vote, including, but
not limited to, all of the following information:
(A) The person's housing status. If the person identifies as
homeless, the homeless shelter shall solicit the following
information:
(i) How many years the person has been homeless.
(ii) What services the person has been offered and is using.
(iii) How many years the person has been in a certain city or
county.
(B) The person's age.
(C) The person's race.
(D) The person's gender.
(2) At least once per year, a homeless shelter shall transmit the
information gathered pursuant to paragraph (1) to the county, the
Secretary of State, the Department of Transportation, and the
Department of Housing and Community Development.
SEC. 4. Section 12811.2 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
12811.2. A driver's license issued to an applicant who is a
homeless individual may list the shelter, public space, cross street,
or post office where the applicant is living as his or her address.
SEC. 5. Section 13005.1 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:
13005.1. An identification card issued to an applicant who is a
homeless individual may list the shelter, public space, cross street,
or post office where the applicant is living as his or her address.
