Bill Text: FL S1228 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Online Voter Registration of Students in Public High School

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2022-03-14 - Died in Ethics and Elections [S1228 Detail]

Download: Florida-2022-S1228-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1228
       
       
        
       By Senator Taddeo
       
       
       
       
       
       40-01688-22                                           20221228__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to online voter registration of
    3         students in public high school; creating s. 97.05832,
    4         F.S.; requiring each public high school to provide to
    5         certain students a voter registration presentation
    6         that demonstrates the steps required to register to
    7         vote online and offers an opportunity for certain
    8         students to register or preregister to vote using the
    9         online voter registration system Internet website;
   10         requiring the Division of Elections to prepare certain
   11         materials and make such materials readily available to
   12         each public high school; authorizing the Department of
   13         State to adopt rules; creating s. 1003.4661, F.S.;
   14         requiring each public high school to provide to
   15         certain students a voter registration presentation;
   16         providing requirements for the presentation; requiring
   17         each public high school, and each public high school’s
   18         principal, or his or her designee, to provide certain
   19         notice of the presentation; prohibiting a teacher from
   20         requiring, pressuring, or otherwise incentivizing a
   21         student to take certain actions; requiring teachers to
   22         allow students to opt out of the presentation;
   23         requiring teachers to use certain materials;
   24         prohibiting teachers presenting the voter registration
   25         presentation from distributing, collecting, or
   26         otherwise handling physical voter registration
   27         applications; requiring certain voter registration and
   28         preregistration to occur online; authorizing the State
   29         Board of Education to adopt rules; providing an
   30         effective date.
   31          
   32  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   33  
   34         Section 1. Section 97.05832, Florida Statutes, is created
   35  to read:
   36         97.05832 Online voter registration in public high school
   37  government classes.—
   38         (1) Each public high school shall provide to each student
   39  taking the United States Government course required under s.
   40  1003.4282(3)(d) a voter registration presentation that consists
   41  exclusively of a demonstration of the steps required to register
   42  to vote online, including a visual demonstration of how to use
   43  the online voter registration system Internet website created
   44  pursuant to s. 97.0525(2), and an opportunity for each student
   45  age 16 years or older to register or preregister to vote, as
   46  applicable, using such Internet website in accordance with s.
   47  1003.4661.
   48         (2) The Division of Elections shall prepare all materials
   49  necessary for the presentation required by subsection (1),
   50  including an instructional guide and a document entitled
   51  “Frequently Asked Questions and Answers” for teacher use, and
   52  shall make such materials readily available to each public high
   53  school. The division shall provide translations of all materials
   54  for use in ESOL, as defined in s. 1003.56(2)(c), and home
   55  language, as defined in s. 1003.56(2)(b), instruction.
   56         (3) The department may adopt rules as necessary to
   57  implement this section.
   58         Section 2. Section 1003.4661, Florida Statutes, is created
   59  to read:
   60         1003.4661 Online voter registration in public high school
   61  government classes.—
   62         (1) Each public high school shall provide to each student
   63  taking the United States Government course required under s.
   64  1003.4282(3)(d) the voter registration presentation required
   65  under s. 97.05832. The presentation must be presented in a
   66  location that provides each student with a separate computer
   67  with Internet access. A student may be directed to the
   68  Department of State’s accessibility Internet website if an
   69  available file viewer is necessary for such student to use the
   70  online voter registration system Internet website created
   71  pursuant to s. 97.0525(2).
   72         (2) Each public high school shall provide to each student
   73  taking the United States Government course required under s.
   74  1003.4282(3)(d) notice through the school’s online communication
   75  system of the voter registration presentation 7 days before,
   76  with reminder notices provided 1 and 2 days before, the
   77  presentation occurs. Additionally, each public high school
   78  principal, or his or her designee, shall provide reasonable
   79  notice of the presentation to students and their parents through
   80  e-mail and telephone messages. Each notice provided pursuant to
   81  this subsection must identify any information that may be
   82  necessary to register or preregister to vote using the online
   83  voter registration system Internet website, including, but not
   84  limited to, the last four digits of the student’s social
   85  security number and the student’s current and valid Florida
   86  driver license number or identification number from a Florida
   87  identification card issued under s. 322.051.
   88         (3) A teacher may not require, pressure, or otherwise
   89  incentivize a student to register or preregister to vote or to
   90  designate a political party affiliation and shall allow each
   91  student to register or preregister to vote using the online
   92  voter registration system Internet website without interference.
   93  Each student must be allowed to opt out of the voter
   94  registration presentation.
   95         (4) A teacher presenting the voter registration
   96  presentation shall use the materials provided by the Division of
   97  Elections pursuant to s. 97.05832(2) and may not supplement such
   98  materials or deviate from the language provided by the division
   99  in such materials.
  100         (5) All voter registration and preregistration conducted
  101  pursuant to this section must occur online. A teacher presenting
  102  the voter registration presentation may not distribute, collect,
  103  or otherwise handle physical voter registration applications.
  104         (6) The State Board of Education may adopt rules as
  105  necessary to implement this section.
  106         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.