Bill Text: FL S0744 | 2016 | Regular Session | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Addresses of Legal Residence
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-18 - Laid on Table, companion bill(s) passed, see HB 541 (Ch. 2016-23) [S0744 Detail]
Download: Florida-2016-S0744-Comm_Sub.html
Florida Senate - 2016 CS for CS for SB 744 By the Committees on Community Affairs; and Ethics and Elections; and Senator Bean 578-02868-16 2016744c2 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to addresses of legal residence; 3 amending s. 97.021, F.S.; defining the term “address 4 of legal residence”; amending s. 97.053, F.S.; 5 requiring a complete voter registration application to 6 include the applicant’s address of legal residence; 7 specifying that an applicant’s failure to include 8 additional distinguishing information on an 9 application does not affect his or her qualifications 10 to register or vote; amending s. 97.057, F.S.; 11 conforming a provision; amending s. 98.015, F.S.; 12 providing that a list of valid addresses maintained by 13 a supervisor of elections include certain additional 14 distinguishing information; requiring the supervisor 15 to make reasonable efforts to obtain residence 16 information omitted on voter registration 17 applications; providing an effective date. 18 19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20 21 Section 1. Present subsections (3) through (44) of section 22 97.021, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (4) 23 through (45), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to 24 that section, to read: 25 97.021 Definitions.—For the purposes of this code, except 26 where the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term: 27 (3) “Address of legal residence” means the legal 28 residential address of the elector and includes all information 29 necessary to differentiate one residence from another, 30 including, but not limited to, a distinguishing apartment, 31 suite, lot, room, or dormitory room number or other identifier. 32 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section 33 97.053, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 34 97.053 Acceptance of voter registration applications.— 35 (5)(a) A voter registration application is complete if it 36 contains the following information necessary to establish the 37 applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041, including: 38 1. The applicant’s name. 39 2. The applicant’s address of legal residenceaddress. 40 Failure to include a distinguishing apartment, suite, lot, room, 41 or dormitory room number or other identifier on a voter 42 registration application does not impact a voter’s eligibility 43 to register to vote or cast a ballot, and such an omission may 44 not serve as the basis for a challenge to a voter’s eligibility 45 or as a reason to not count a ballot. 46 3. The applicant’s date of birth. 47 4. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant is a 48 citizen of the United States. 49 5.a. The applicant’s current and valid Florida driver 50 license number or the identification number from a Florida 51 identification card issued under s. 322.051, or 52 b. If the applicant has not been issued a current and valid 53 Florida driver license or a Florida identification card, the 54 last four digits of the applicant’s social security number. 55 56 In case an applicant has not been issued a current and valid 57 Florida driver license, Florida identification card, or social 58 security number, the applicant shall affirm this fact in the 59 manner prescribed in the uniform statewide voter registration 60 application. 61 6. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant has 62 not been convicted of a felony or that, if convicted, has had 63 his or her civil rights restored. 64 7. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant has 65 not been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to 66 voting or that, if so adjudicated, has had his or her right to 67 vote restored. 68 8. The original signature or a digital signature 69 transmitted by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor 70 Vehicles of the applicant swearing or affirming under the 71 penalty for false swearing pursuant to s. 104.011 that the 72 information contained in the registration application is true 73 and subscribing to the oath required by s. 3, Art. VI of the 74 State Constitution and s. 97.051. 75 Section 3. Subsection (10) of section 97.057, Florida 76 Statutes, is amended to read: 77 97.057 Voter registration by the Department of Highway 78 Safety and Motor Vehicles.— 79 (10) The department shall provide the Department of Highway 80 Safety and Motor Vehicles with an electronic database of street 81 addresses valid for use as an address ofthelegal residence 82addressas required in s. 97.053(5). The Department of Highway 83 Safety and Motor Vehicles shall compare the address provided by 84 the applicant against the database of valid street addresses. If 85 the address provided by the applicant does not match a valid 86 street address in the database, the applicant will be asked to 87 verify the address provided. The Department of Highway Safety 88 and Motor Vehicles mayshallnot reject any application for 89 voter registration for which a valid match cannot be made. 90 Section 4. Subsection (12) of section 98.015, Florida 91 Statutes, is amended to read: 92 98.015 Supervisor of elections; election, tenure of office, 93 compensation, custody of registration-related documents, office 94 hours, successor, seal; appointment of deputy supervisors; 95 duties.— 96 (12) Each supervisor shall maintain a list of valid 97 residential street addresses for purposes of verifying the legal 98 addresses of voters residing in the supervisor’s county. To the 99 maximum extent practicable, the list must include information 100 necessary to differentiate one residence from another, 101 including, but not limited to, a distinguishing apartment, 102 suite, lot, room, or dormitory room number or other identifier. 103 If a voter registration application does not include information 104 necessary to differentiate one residence from another, the 105 supervisor shall make all reasonable efforts to obtain such 106 information in order to maintain the list of valid residential 107 street address. The supervisor shall make all reasonable efforts 108 to coordinate with county 911 service providers, property 109 appraisers, the United States Postal Service, or other agencies 110 as necessary to ensure the continued accuracy of such list. The 111 supervisor shall provide the list of valid residential addresses 112 to the statewide voter registration system in the manner and 113 frequency specified by rule of the department. 114 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.