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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY BARRAR, CUTLER, BENNINGHOFF, BOBACK, CREIGHTON, GEIST, GOODMAN, HALUSKA, HARHART, HARRIS, HENNESSEY, KILLION, MILLER, MURT, MUSTIO, RAPP, SAYLOR, SIPTROTH AND BEYER, APRIL 29, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 29, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending Title 25 (Elections) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated |
2 | Statutes, further providing for standardized forms, for |
3 | applications and for preparation and distribution of |
4 | applications; and providing for government service |
5 | facilitation. |
6 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
7 | hereby enacts as follows: |
8 | Section 1. Sections 1105(a) and 1106(a) of Title 25 of the |
9 | Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read: |
10 | § 1105. Standardized forms. |
11 | (a) General rule.--Whenever possible, the secretary shall |
12 | prescribe by regulation standardized voter registration or |
13 | absentee ballot application forms which may be used, with prior |
14 | approval by the secretary, by political bodies, candidates and |
15 | organized bodies of citizens in compliance with both the |
16 | provisions of this part and the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, |
17 | No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code. The forms |
18 | shall include notice to applicants as required under section |
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1 | 1327.1(e) (relating to government service facilitation). |
2 | * * * |
3 | § 1106. Applications. |
4 | [(a) Registration application.--Voter registration |
5 | applications printed under the act of June 30, 1995 (P.L.170, |
6 | No.25), known as the Pennsylvania Voter Registration Act, may be |
7 | used to apply for registration under this part.] |
8 | * * * |
9 | Section 2. Section 1327(a)(4) of Title 25 is amended by |
10 | adding a subparagraph to read: |
11 | § 1327. Preparation and distribution of applications. |
12 | (a) Form.-- |
13 | * * * |
14 | (4) A voter registration application shall be printed on |
15 | stock of good quality and shall be of suitable uniform size. |
16 | Nothing in this part shall prohibit the design and use of an |
17 | electronic voter registration application which includes the |
18 | applicant's digitized or electronic signature. The |
19 | registration application shall contain the following |
20 | information; however, the information may be provided on a |
21 | separate form for voter registration made under section 1323 |
22 | or 1325: |
23 | * * * |
24 | (xi) Notice to applicants as required under section |
25 | 1327.1(e) (relating to government service facilitation). |
26 | * * * |
27 | Section 3. Title 25 is amended by adding a section to read: |
28 | § 1327.1. Government service facilitation. |
29 | (a) Legislative findings.--The General Assembly finds and |
30 | declares as follows: |
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1 | (1) Individuals who move into this Commonwealth, or move |
2 | from one political subdivision to another in this |
3 | Commonwealth, often have difficulty accessing government |
4 | services and participating fully in the rights and |
5 | responsibilities which accrue to residents. |
6 | (2) Requiring citizens to stand in multiple lines at |
7 | multiple agencies at various levels of government is not an |
8 | efficient means to provide necessary services to citizens or |
9 | an efficient use of government employee resources. |
10 | (3) Failure to make appropriate and timely changes |
11 | concerning residency has led to problems for citizens |
12 | concerning voting rights and incorrectly transmitted tax |
13 | information and withholding. |
14 | (4) The General Assembly has, in the past, assisted |
15 | individuals with reducing the governmental burdens associated |
16 | with geographic moves through methods such as combining the |
17 | driver’s license and voter registration processes. |
18 | (5) In order to make the government more people |
19 | friendly, it is imperative to interconnect systems so that |
20 | information provided to the government can be accessed in |
21 | such a manner as to provide new residents with appropriate |
22 | contact information and the full panoply of government |
23 | interaction. |
24 | (b) General rule.--Notwithstanding any prohibition found in |
25 | any other law, regulation or rule, a commission which processes |
26 | a voter registration application shall provide information as |
27 | follows: |
28 | (1) Within 14 days of receipt, the commission shall |
29 | provide, in the manner prescribed by the secretary, the |
30 | department with the applicant's full name, address of |
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1 | residence and mailing address, if different from the address |
2 | of residence. The requirements of this paragraph may be met, |
3 | with the approval of the secretary, by current law and |
4 | practices concerning transmission of information from a |
5 | commission to the department. |
6 | (2) Within 14 days of receipt, the commission shall |
7 | provide, in the manner prescribed by the secretary, each |
8 | political subdivision which contains the applicant's address |
9 | of residence with the applicant's full name, address of |
10 | residence and mailing address, if different from the address |
11 | of residence. |
12 | (c) Duties of department.--Notwithstanding any prohibition |
13 | found in any other law, regulation or rule, upon receipt of |
14 | information from a commission under subsection (b), the |
15 | department shall provide the Department of Revenue, the |
16 | Department of Public Welfare and the Department of |
17 | Transportation with the applicant's full name, address of |
18 | residence and mailing address, if different from the address of |
19 | residence. The method of providing information shall be |
20 | determined by the secretary in conjunction with the Department |
21 | of Revenue, the Department of Public Welfare and the Department |
22 | of Transportation, and may include electronic mail, facsimile or |
23 | other secure method which accomplishes the requirements of this |
24 | subsection without undue expense or delay. |
25 | (d) Responsibility of recipient agencies.--Any State agency |
26 | or political subdivision which receives information regarding an |
27 | applicant under subsection (b) or (c) shall determine if an |
28 | applicant meets the residency requirements applicable to the |
29 | services provided or duties imposed by that State agency or |
30 | political subdivision and shall transmit to the applicant |
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1 | information concerning the rights and responsibilities of that |
2 | applicant which fall within the scope of the authority provided |
3 | to the State agency or political subdivision. |
4 | (e) Notice on voter registration application.--Each voter |
5 | registration application shall contain, in a manner prescribed |
6 | by the secretary, notice that the applicant's name, address and |
7 | mailing address will be provided to the Department of |
8 | Transportation, the Department of Public Welfare, the |
9 | Department of Revenue and relevant political subdivisions to |
10 | ensure the applicant's full access to the rights and |
11 | responsibilities attendant to residence. |
12 | (f) Definitions.--The following words and phrases, when used |
13 | in this section, shall have the meanings given to them in this |
14 | subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: |
15 | "Political subdivision." The term shall have the same |
16 | meaning as the term is defined in 1 Pa.C.S. § 1991 (relating to |
17 | definitions). |
18 | Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
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