Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05872 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
	3	+	LCO No. 1698 1 of 2
3	4
4		-
5		-
6		-	LCO No. 4939 1 of 6
7		-
8		-	General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5872
	5	+	General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 5872
9	6		January Session, 2021
10		-	LCO No. ~~4939~~
	7	+	LCO No. 1698
11	8
12	9
13	10		Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
14	11		AND ELECTIONS
15	12
16	13
17	14		Introduced by:
18		-	(GAE)
	15	+	REP. THOMAS, 143rd Dist.
	16	+	REP. MORRIN BELLO, 28th Dist.
	17	+	REP. QUINN, 82nd Dist.
	18	+	REP. BERGER-GIRVALO, 111th Dist.
	19	+	REP. CHAFEE, 33rd Dist.
	20	+	REP. KAVROS DEGRAW, 17th Dist.
	21	+	REP. FARRAR, 20th Dist.
	22	+	REP. GOUPIL, 35th Dist.
	23	+	REP. WELANDER, 114th Dist.
	24	+	REP. LEEPER, 132nd Dist.
19	25
20	26
21	27
22		-	AN ACT EXPANDING ~~AUT OMATIC APPLICATION FOR~~ VOTER
23		-	~~REGISTRATION TO CERT AIN~~ STATE ~~AGENCIES~~.
	28	+	AN ACT EXPANDING AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION TO
	29	+	CERTAIN STATE AGENCI ES.
24	30		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
25	31		Assembly convened:
26	32
27		-	Section 1. Section 9-23n of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
28		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2022): 2
29		-	(a) As used in this section, "voter registration agency" means (1) 3
30		-	public assistance offices, (2) all offices in the state that provide 4
31		-	state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to 5
32		-	persons with disabilities, (3) libraries that are open to the public, [and] 6
33		-	(4) the Department of Social Services, (5) the Labor Department, (6) the 7
34		-	Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, (7) the 8
35		-	Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange, and (8) such other appropriate 9
36		-	offices or agencies as the Secretary of the State shall designate in 10
37		-	accordance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, P.L. 103-31, 11
38		-	as amended from time to time, based on periodic assessments of offices 12
39		-	or agencies capable of effectuating the purposes of subdivision (1) of 13
40		-	subsection (b) of this section. 14
41		-	(b) [Voter registration agencies shall] (1) Except as provided in 15
42		-	LCO No. 4939 2 of 6
43		-
44		-	subdivision (2) of this subsection, each voter registration agency shall 16
45		-	(A) distribute mail voter registration application forms, [(2)] (B) assist 17
46		-	applicants for [such] assistance or services provided by the agency in 18
47		-	completing voter registration application forms, except for applicants 19
48		-	who refuse [such] assistance in completing such forms, [(3)] (C) accept 20
49		-	completed voter registration application forms and provide each 21
50		-	applicant with an application receipt, on which the agency shall record 22
51		-	the date that the agency received the application, using an official date 23
52		-	stamp bearing the name of the agency, and [(4)] (D) immediately 24
53		-	transmit all such applications to the registrars of voters of the town of 25
54		-	voting residence of the applicants. The agency shall provide such receipt 26
55		-	whether the application was submitted in person, [or] by mail or 27
56		-	through an electronic system pursuant to subdivision (2) of this 28
57		-	subsection. If a registration application is accepted within five days 29
58		-	before the last day for registration to vote in a regular election, the 30
59		-	application shall be transmitted to the registrars of voters of the town of 31
60		-	voting residence of the applicant not later than five days after the date 32
61		-	of acceptance. [The] Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this 33
62		-	subsection, the voter registration agency shall indicate on the completed 34
63		-	mail voter registration application form, without indicating the identity 35
64		-	of the voter registration agency, the date of its acceptance by such 36
65		-	agency, to ensure that any eligible applicant is registered to vote in an 37
66		-	election if it is received by the registration agency by the last day for 38
67		-	registration to vote in an election. If a state-funded program primarily 39
68		-	engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities provides 40
69		-	services to a person with a disability at the person's home, the agency 41
70		-	shall provide such voter registration services at the person's home. The 42
71		-	procedures in subsections (c), (d), (f) and (g) of section 9-23g that are not 43
72		-	inconsistent with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, P.L. 44
73		-	103-31, as amended from time to time, shall apply to applications made 45
74		-	under this section. Officials and employees of such voter registration 46
75		-	agencies are not admitting officials, as defined in section 9-17a, and may 47
76		-	not restore, under the provisions of section 9-46a, electoral privileges of 48
77		-	persons convicted of a felony. 49
78		-	(2) (A) On and after January 1, 2022, each voter registration agency 50
79		-	LCO No. 4939 3 of 6
80		-
81		-	shall provide an electronic system, subject to the approval of the 51
82		-	Secretary of the State, to effectuate the purposes of subdivision (1) of this 52
83		-	subsection regarding application for admission of an elector, except that 53
84		-	the condition that an applicant state and attest to meeting each eligibility 54
85		-	requirement may be waived for any such eligibility requirement 55
86		-	verified independently by the agency through a federally approved 56
87		-	identity verification program or other evidence acceptable to the 57
88		-	agency. Such electronic system may provide for the transmittal to the 58
89		-	Secretary of an applicant's signature on file with the voter registration 59
90		-	agency. The use of any such electronic system shall comply with the 60
91		-	National Voter Registration Act of 1993, P.L. 103-31, as amended from 61
92		-	time to time. 62
93		-	(B) (i) Unless otherwise provided in this subparagraph, if the voter 63
94		-	registration agency determines that a person applying for assistance or 64
95		-	services provided by the agency meets each eligibility requirement for 65
96		-	admission as an elector, the agency shall forthwith transmit an 66
97		-	application for such person's admission as an elector to the registrars of 67
98		-	voters of such person's residence through an electronic system pursuant 68
99		-	to this subdivision, in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (1) 69
100		-	of this subsection, except that no such application shall be transmitted if 70
101		-	such person declines to apply for such admission. 71
102		-	(ii) If the voter registration agency determines that a person applying 72
103		-	for assistance or services provided by the agency is not a United States 73
104		-	citizen, the agency shall not provide such person an opportunity to 74
105		-	apply for admission as an elector through an electronic system pursuant 75
106		-	to this subdivision and shall not transmit any application for such 76
107		-	admission on behalf of such person. 77
108		-	(iii) If the voter registration agency cannot determine whether a 78
109		-	person applying for assistance or services provided by the agency is a 79
110		-	United States citizen, such person shall attest to his or her United States 80
111		-	citizenship as a precondition of the agency processing such person's 81
112		-	application for admission as an elector through an electronic system 82
113		-	pursuant to this subdivision. 83
114		-	LCO No. 4939 4 of 6
115		-
116		-	(C) In the case of an individual already admitted as an elector and 84
117		-	who is also enrolled in a party, if use of such electronic system results in 85
118		-	such elector being removed from the enrollment list of such party 86
119		-	because such elector did not affirmatively confirm an intent to continue 87
120		-	enrollment in such party, such removal shall be presumed unintentional 88
121		-	and such elector shall be restored to such list upon such elector's 89
122		-	notification of such removal to the registrar of voters of the town in 90
123		-	which such elector resides. 91
124		-	Sec. 2. Section 9-23o of the general statutes is repealed and the 92
125		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2022): 93
126		-	A voter registration agency, as defined in section 9-23n, as amended 94
127		-	by this act, shall comply with the National Voter Registration Act of 95
128		-	1993, P.L. 103-31, as amended from time to time, and (1) shall distribute 96
129		-	with each application for [service or] assistance or services provided by 97
130		-	the agency, and with each recertification, renewal or change of address 98
131		-	form relating to such [service or] assistance or services a mail voter 99
132		-	registration application form approved by the Secretary of the State, and 100
133		-	(2) on and after January 1, 2022, during each application for such 101
134		-	assistance or services and each recertification, renewal or change of 102
135		-	address relating to such assistance or services, shall use an electronic 103
136		-	system described in subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 9-23n, as 104
137		-	amended by this act, and in accordance with said subdivision to 105
138		-	effectuate the purposes of subdivision (1) of said subsection regarding 106
139		-	application for admission of an elector, unless the applicant declines to 107
140		-	register to vote pursuant to the provisions of the National Voter 108
141		-	Registration Act of 1993, P.L. 103-31, as amended from time to time. 109
142		-	Such declination shall be in writing, except in the case of an application 110
143		-	for service or assistance provided by a library, or a recertification, 111
144		-	renewal or change of address form relating to such library service or 112
145		-	assistance. Such voter registration agency shall provide each applicant 113
146		-	to register to vote the same degree of assistance with regard to the 114
147		-	completion of the registration application form as is provided by the 115
148		-	agency with regard to the completion of its own forms, unless the 116
149		-	applicant refuses such assistance. 117
150		-	LCO No. 4939 5 of 6
151		-
152		-	Sec. 3. Section 9-23p of the general statutes is repealed and the 118
153		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2022): 119
154		-	Each public institution of higher education shall (1) distribute mail 120
155		-	voter registration application forms, [and (2)] as well as assist applicants 121
156		-	who request assistance in completing such voter registration application 122
157		-	forms, and (2) on and after January 1, 2022, use an electronic system 123
158		-	described in subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 9-23n, as 124
159		-	amended by this act, and in accordance with said subdivision to 125
160		-	effectuate the purposes of subdivision (1) of said subsection regarding 126
161		-	application for admission of an elector, as well as assist applicants who 127
162		-	request assistance in so applying through such electronic system. 128
163		-	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
164		-	sections:
165		-
166		-	Section 1 January 1, 2022 9-23n
167		-	Sec. 2 January 1, 2022 9-23o
168		-	Sec. 3 January 1, 2022 9-23p
169		-
170		-	Statement of Purpose:
171		-	To (1) establish automatic application for voter registration at certain
172		-	state agencies that currently make available voter registration
173		-	information, and (2) create a presumption that any removal from a party
174		-	enrollment list through such automatic application for voter registration
175		-	was unintentional.
176		-	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
177		-	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
178		-	underlined.]
179		-
180		-	Co-Sponsors: REP. THOMAS, 143rd Dist.; REP. MORRIN BELLO, 28th Dist.
181		-	REP. QUINN, 82nd Dist.; REP. BERGER-GIRVALO, 111th Dist.
182		-	REP. CHAFEE, 33rd Dist.; REP. KAVROS DEGRAW, 17th Dist.
183		-	REP. FARRAR, 20th Dist.; REP. GOUPIL, 35th Dist.
184		-	REP. WELANDER, 114th Dist.; REP. LEEPER, 132nd Dist.
185		-	REP. PARKER, 101st Dist.; REP. MICHEL, 146th Dist.
186		-
187		-	H.B. 5872
188		-
189		-	LCO No. 4939 6 of 6
	33	+	That title 9 of the general statutes be amended to (1) require that the 1
	34	+	Commissioner of Social Services, the Board of Regents for Higher 2
	35	+	Education, the Labor Commissioner and the department head of any 3
	36	+	other state agency that verifies identity in order to meet elector 4
	37	+	eligibility requirements implement an electronic process for 5
	38	+	automatically admitting as electors certain individuals who engage in 6
	39	+	certain transactions with such agencies, provided (A) any such 7
	40	+	individual may affirmatively decline to be so admitted, and (B) if it is 8
	41	+	determined that any such individual is not a United States citizen, such 9
	42	+	individual shall not be so admitted, and (2) create a presumption that 10
	43	+	removal of any such individual from a party enrollment list during the 11
	44	+	course of such electronic automatic admission process was 12 Proposed Bill No. 5872
190	45
191	46
	47	+	LCO No. 1698 2 of 2
	48	+
	49	+	unintentional. 13
	50	+	Statement of Purpose:
	51	+	To (1) establish automatic voter registration at any state agency that
	52	+	verifies identity in order to meet elector eligibility requirements, and (2)
	53	+	create a presumption that any removal from a party enrollment list
	54	+	through such automatic voter registration was unintentional.