Bill Text: IA SF2031 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to voter registration by providing for the registration of eligible electors upon review of electronic records received from driver’s license and nonoperator’s identification card applications, and including effective date provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-16 - Subcommittee: Chapman, Dvorsky, and Schultz. S.J. 109. [SF2031 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2017-SF2031-Introduced.html

Senate File 2031 - Introduced




                                 SENATE FILE       
                                 BY  JOCHUM

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to voter registration by providing for the
  2    registration of eligible electors upon review of electronic
  3    records received from driver's license and nonoperator's
  4    identification card applications, and including effective
  5    date provisions.
  6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 48A.7, Code 2018, is amended to read as
  1  2 follows:
  1  3    48A.7  Registration in person.
  1  4    An eligible elector may register to vote by appearing
  1  5 personally and completing a voter registration form at the
  1  6 office of the commissioner in the county in which the person
  1  7 resides, at a motor vehicle driver's license station, including
  1  8 any county treasurer's office that is participating in county
  1  9 issuance of driver's licenses under chapter 321M, or at any
  1 10 voter registration agency. A For paper registration forms,
  1 11 a separate voter registration form shall be signed by each
  1 12 individual registrant.
  1 13    Sec. 2.  Section 48A.8, subsection 1, Code 2018, is amended
  1 14 to read as follows:
  1 15    1.  An eligible elector may request that a voter registration
  1 16 form be mailed to the elector. The completed form may be
  1 17 mailed or delivered by the registrant or the registrant's
  1 18 designee to the commissioner in the county where the person
  1 19 resides or to the state commissioner of elections for a
  1 20 program participant, as provided in section 9E.6. A For paper
  1 21 registration forms, a separate voter registration form shall be
  1 22 signed by each individual registrant.
  1 23    Sec. 3.  Section 48A.18, subsections 1 and 3, Code 2018, are
  1 24 amended to read as follows:
  1 25    1.  Each state motor vehicle driver's license application,
  1 26 including any renewal application or application for a
  1 27 nonoperator's identification card, submitted to the office
  1 28 of driver services of the state department of transportation
  1 29 shall serve as an application for voter registration unless the
  1 30 commissioner of registration determines that the applicant is
  1 31 not an eligible elector or the applicant declines to register
  1 32 to vote after receiving notification under subsection 4A.
  1 33 A completed voter registration form application submitted
  1 34 to the office of driver services of the state department of
  1 35 transportation shall be considered to update any previous voter
  2  1 registration by the registrant.
  2  2    3.  Information relating to the refusal decision of an
  2  3 applicant for a driver's license to apply decline to register
  2  4 to vote shall not be used for any purpose other than voter
  2  5 registration.
  2  6    Sec. 4.  Section 48A.18, subsection 4, Code 2018, is amended
  2  7 by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu thereof the
  2  8 following:
  2  9    4.  a.  The state voter registration commission shall
  2 10 establish schedules by which the department of transportation
  2 11 shall transmit to the state registrar of voters electronic
  2 12 records containing the legal name, date of birth, residential
  2 13 address, mailing address, and social security number for each
  2 14 person submitting an application under this section.
  2 15    b.  The state voter registration commission shall establish
  2 16 schedules by which the state registrar of voters shall make
  2 17 accessible or transmit electronic records received under
  2 18 paragraph "a" to the appropriate commissioner of registration.
  2 19    c.  The state commissioner of elections shall adopt rules,
  2 20 consistent with section 9E.6, for the registration of address
  2 21 confidentiality program participants.
  2 22    d.  The state voter registration commission, in consultation
  2 23 with the department of transportation, shall adopt rules
  2 24 pursuant to chapter 17A to administer and interpret this
  2 25 section, including rules to establish electronic applications
  2 26 and procedures used by the office of driver services for
  2 27 voter registration purposes, rules to establish schedules for
  2 28 transmission of electronic records and rules and forms to
  2 29 decline being registered to vote.
  2 30    Sec. 5.  Section 48A.18, Code 2018, is amended by adding the
  2 31 following new subsection:
  2 32    NEW SUBSECTION.  4A.  a.  (1)  Upon receiving the electronic
  2 33 record for a person under subsection 4, the state registrar
  2 34 of voters shall transmit or otherwise make accessible the
  2 35 electronic record of the person to the commissioner of
  3  1 registration where the person resides. Upon reviewing the
  3  2 electronic record received from the state registrar of voters,
  3  3 along with any other relevant information, the commissioner
  3  4 shall determine if a person is an eligible elector of the
  3  5 county. If the commissioner determines that a person is an
  3  6 eligible elector of the county and is not registered to vote in
  3  7 that county, the commissioner shall notify the person of the
  3  8 separate processes to decline being registered to vote or to
  3  9 declare a political party affiliation.
  3 10    (2)  If the person is registered to vote in the county, the
  3 11 commissioner of registration shall use the electronic record
  3 12 and information to update the person's voter registration if
  3 13 appropriate.
  3 14    b.  If a person notified under paragraph "a" does not decline
  3 15 to be registered to vote within twenty=one calendar days after
  3 16 the commissioner of registration issues the notification,
  3 17 the person's electronic record and the electronic signature
  3 18 obtained by the department of transportation shall constitute
  3 19 a completed voter registration form under section 48A.11, and
  3 20 the commissioner shall register the person to vote in that
  3 21 county. The commissioner shall send an acknowledgment pursuant
  3 22 to section 48A.26.
  3 23    c.  A commissioner of registration shall not add a person
  3 24 subject to registration under this subsection to a voter
  3 25 registration list until at least twenty=one calendar days
  3 26 after the commissioner has issued notification to the person
  3 27 as described in paragraph "a".
  3 28    d.  The electronic record and electronic signature of a
  3 29 person who does not qualify as an eligible elector shall not
  3 30 constitute a completed voter registration form under section
  3 31 48A.11 and such a person's application for a driver's license
  3 32 or nonoperator's identification card shall not be considered
  3 33 to be a voter registration application for purposes of section
  3 34 39A.2, subsection 1, paragraph "a".
  3 35    Sec. 6.  Section 48A.21, Code 2018, is amended to read as
  4  1 follows:
  4  2    48A.21  Transmission of forms from agencies and driver's
  4  3 license stations.
  4  4    The state registrar of voters shall adopt administrative
  4  5 rules regulating the transmission of completed voter
  4  6 registration forms from voter registration agencies and from
  4  7 driver's license stations, including county treasurer's offices
  4  8 participating in county issuance of driver's licenses under
  4  9 chapter 321M.  All completed voter registration applications
  4 10 in the possession of a voter registration agency, a driver's
  4 11 license station, or a county treasurer's office that is
  4 12 participating in county issuance of driver's licenses at 5:00
  4 13 p.m. on the last workday of each week shall be transmitted
  4 14 to the location designated by the state registrar of voters
  4 15 by rule. Procedures or requirements for more frequent
  4 16 transmissions may be specified by rule.
  4 17    Sec. 7.  Section 48A.26, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
  4 18 2018, is amended to read as follows:
  4 19    b.  (1)  For a voter registration form or change of
  4 20 information in a voter registration record submitted at a
  4 21 precinct caucus, the commissioner shall send an acknowledgment
  4 22 within forty=five days of receipt of the form or change of
  4 23 information.
  4 24    (2)  For a voter registration application or change of
  4 25 information in a voter registration record completed pursuant
  4 26 to section 48A.18, subsection 4A, the commissioner shall send
  4 27 an acknowledgment within seven working days of the person being
  4 28 registered under that subsection.
  4 29    Sec. 8.  Section 48A.26, subsection 8, Code 2018, is amended
  4 30 to read as follows:
  4 31    8.  An A completed voter registration application,
  4 32 improperly transmitted under section 48A.18, subsection 4A, or
  4 33 an improperly addressed or delivered registration form shall be
  4 34 transmitted or forwarded to the appropriate county commissioner
  4 35 of registration within two working days after it is received by
  5  1 any other official. The date of registration shall be the date
  5  2 the completed application or registration form was received by
  5  3 the first official. If the registration form was postmarked
  5  4 fifteen or more days before an election and the registration
  5  5 form was received by the first official after the close of
  5  6 registration, the registration form shall be considered on time
  5  7 for the election.
  5  8    Sec. 9.  Section 48A.36, subsection 1, Code 2018, is amended
  5  9 to read as follows:
  5 10    1.  Voter registration agencies and the office of driver
  5 11 services of the state department of transportation may
  5 12 electronically transmit registration data to the state
  5 13 registrar of voters, who shall distribute the information,
  5 14 electronically or otherwise, to the appropriate commissioner
  5 15 in accordance with rules of the state voter registration
  5 16 commission and the state registrar of voters.  The office
  5 17 of driver services of the department of transportation
  5 18 shall electronically transmit registration data to the state
  5 19 registrar of voters as required pursuant to section 48A.18.
  5 20  The state agency originating the registration data shall
  5 21 permanently retain an electronic copy of the form completed
  5 22 by the registrant, including the registrant's signature, and
  5 23 shall develop procedures for the retrieval and printing of
  5 24 that electronic document. A printed copy of an electronic
  5 25 registration document shall be made only upon the agency's
  5 26 receipt of a court order.
  5 27    Sec. 10.  Section 331.557A, subsection 5, Code 2018, is
  5 28 amended to read as follows:
  5 29    5.  Participate in voter registration according to the
  5 30 terms of chapter 48A, and submit completed voter registration
  5 31 forms to the state registrar of voters appropriate county
  5 32 commissioner of registration.
  5 33    Sec. 11.  IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT.  Section 25B.2, subsection
  5 34 3, shall not apply to this Act.
  5 35    Sec. 12.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect January 1,
  6  1 2019.
  6  2                           EXPLANATION
  6  3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  6  4 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  6  5    This bill relates to voter registration by allowing
  6  6 registration of eligible electors to vote following review
  6  7 of electronic records received from driver's license and
  6  8 nonoperator's identification card applications by county
  6  9 commissioners of registration (county auditors).
  6 10    The bill requires that the office of driver services of the
  6 11 department of transportation transmit to the state registrar of
  6 12 voters (the secretary of state) electronic records containing
  6 13 the legal name, date of birth, residential address, mailing
  6 14 address, and social security number for each person submitting
  6 15 an application for a driver's license or nonoperator's
  6 16 identification card, or any renewal application. Current Code
  6 17 section 321.182 requires that an application for a license
  6 18 or card include an applicant's full name, signature, current
  6 19 mailing address, current residential address, date of birth,
  6 20 social security number, and other information. Under current
  6 21 administrative rules of the department of transportation, an
  6 22 applicant for a license or card is required to provide proof
  6 23 of lawful status in the United States. Also under current
  6 24 administrative rules, a person's signature for a driver's
  6 25 license or nonoperator's identification card application is
  6 26 required to be captured electronically. Under current law,
  6 27 a county treasurer's office participating in county issuance
  6 28 of driver's licenses is required to participate in voter
  6 29 registration to the same extent as a license facility of the
  6 30 state department of transportation.
  6 31    The bill requires the state registrar of voters to
  6 32 transmit the electronic records to the county commissioner of
  6 33 registration of the county where the person resides. The bill
  6 34 requires that the county commissioner review the electronic
  6 35 record and any other relevant information to determine if a
  7  1 person is an eligible elector. If the county commissioner
  7  2 determines a person to be an eligible elector and the person is
  7  3 not registered to vote in the county, the county commissioner
  7  4 is required to notify the person of the separate processes to
  7  5 decline to register to vote or to declare a political party
  7  6 affiliation. If a notified person fails to decline voter
  7  7 registration within 21 days after the county commissioner
  7  8 issued the notification, the bill provides that the electronic
  7  9 record and electronic signature shall constitute a completed
  7 10 voter registration form for that person and the bill requires
  7 11 the county commissioner to register the person to vote in that
  7 12 county and send the person an acknowledgment as required by
  7 13 current law.
  7 14    The bill prohibits a county commissioner from adding a
  7 15 person's name to a voter registration list until at least 21
  7 16 days after the commissioner has issued notification to the
  7 17 person. The bill requires that a county commissioner send an
  7 18 acknowledgment of registration within seven working days of
  7 19 registering a person under the bill. The bill also provides
  7 20 that the electronic record of a person who does not qualify
  7 21 as an eligible elector does not constitute a completed voter
  7 22 registration form. Under the bill, such a person submitting
  7 23 an application for a license or card will not be subject to
  7 24 charges for voter registration fraud under Code section 39A.2
  7 25 for submitting such an application.
  7 26    The bill also grants the state voter registration
  7 27 commission, in consultation with the department of
  7 28 transportation, the authority to adopt rules to administer
  7 29 and interpret the provisions of the bill relating to voter
  7 30 registration at motor vehicle driver's license stations. If
  7 31 interpretive rulemaking authority is clearly vested in the
  7 32 discretion of an agency by statute, the applicable judicial
  7 33 standard of review is whether the rules constitute an
  7 34 irrational, illogical, or wholly unjustifiable interpretation
  7 35 of law by the agency (Code section 17A.19(10)(l)). If
  8  1 interpretive rulemaking authority is not clearly vested in
  8  2 the discretion of an agency, the applicable judicial standard
  8  3 of review is whether the rules constitute an erroneous
  8  4 interpretation of law (Code section 17A.19(10)(c)).
  8  5    The bill makes changes to current law related to address
  8  6 confidentiality program participants under Code chapter 9E by
  8  7 requiring the state registrar to adopt rules for administration
  8  8 of registration for those participants.
  8  9    The bill specifies that a requirement that separate
  8 10 registration forms be signed by each individual registrant only
  8 11 applies to paper registration forms.
  8 12    The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
  8 13 section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 25B.2,
  8 14 subsection 3, which would relieve a political subdivision from
  8 15 complying with a state mandate if funding for the cost of
  8 16 the state mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore,
  8 17 political subdivisions are required to comply with any state
  8 18 mandate included in the bill.
  8 19    The bill takes effect January 1, 2019.
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