General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 433
January Session, 2013 *_____SB00433GAE___030513____*
General Assembly
Substitute Bill No. 433
January Session, 2013
*_____SB00433GAE___030513____*
AN ACT CONCERNING A CONNECTICUT DEMOCRACY INDEX.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Secretary of the State shall develop a Connecticut Democracy Index for the evaluation of primaries, as defined in section 9-372 of the general statutes, and regular elections, as defined in section 9-1 of the general statutes, held on or after January 1, 2014, for federal, state and municipal offices. In preparation of the index, the Secretary shall establish and operate a data collection system to collect and measure data, as described in subsection (c) of this section. The Secretary shall update such index after each regular election and make such index available to the public through the Internet.
(b) The Secretary of the State shall design the index in a manner that (1) provides assistance to the Secretary and the municipalities in the administration of primaries and regular elections for federal, state and municipal offices, and (2) presents data on a town-by-town basis, in a manner designed to demonstrate administration practices that (A) ensure the right of individuals to vote, (B) improve the quality of voter access to polls and the quality of voter services, and (C) secure the accuracy and integrity of elections.
(c) The Secretary of the State shall determine which data to collect for the Connecticut Democracy Index. The Secretary shall analyze such data, using results-based accountability principles, to determine the effectiveness of the administration of primaries and regular elections for federal, state and municipal offices.
(d) Not later than August 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of the State shall report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to elections and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, and to the chief elected official and registrars of voters of each municipality. Such report shall include any recommendations for (1) improving the types of data that are collected and included in the Connecticut Democracy Index, and (2) legislation or administrative action to improve state and municipal performance in the administration of primaries and regular elections for federal, state and municipal offices, as determined based on a town-by-town comparison of such data.
(e) The Secretary of the State may adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes to implement the provisions of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
from passage
New section
GAE Joint Favorable Subst.
GAE
Joint Favorable Subst.