BILL NUMBER: SB 928INTRODUCED 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.