Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07242 Latest Draft

Bill / Comm Sub Version Filed 04/09/2025

                             
 
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General Assembly  Substitute Bill No. 7242  
January Session, 2025 
 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT STUDYING EFFORTS TO INCREASE VOTER 
PARTICIPATION AND AUTHORIZING MUNICIPAL PILOT PROGRAMS 
TO PROMOTE SUCH EFFORTS.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) There is established a task force to 1 
study (1) efforts to achieve one hundred per cent voter participation in 2 
this state by January 1, 2030, (2) means of enhancing civic engagement 3 
generally in this state, (3) experiences of jurisdictions that have enacted 4 
policies to require citizens to vote as a civic duty, (4) potential 5 
implementation options in pursuit of achieving such one hundred per 6 
cent voter participation goal, (5) needs of municipal officials, including, 7 
but not limited to, registrars of voters and town clerks, in administering 8 
elections in which one hundred per cent of voters participate, and (6) 9 
budgetary resources that may be required to achieve such one hundred 10 
per cent voter participation goal. 11 
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 12 
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives; 13 
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate; 14 
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 15 
Representatives; 16  Substitute Bill No. 7242 
 
 
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(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; 17 
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 18 
Representatives; 19 
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; 20 
(7) The Secretary of the State, or the Secretary's designee; and 21 
(8) Two persons appointed by the Governor. 22 
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 23 
(2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 24 
of the General Assembly. 25 
(d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 26 
than August 1, 2025. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing 27 
authority. 28 
(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro 29 
tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from 30 
among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule 31 
the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than 32 
September 1, 2025. 33 
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 34 
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to elections 35 
shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 36 
(g) Not later than February 1, 2026, the task force shall submit a report 37 
on its findings and recommendations, including potential legislation to 38 
appropriate funds or provide other resources to municipalities for the 39 
purposes of increasing voter participation, to the joint standing 40 
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 41 
relating to elections, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a 42 
of the general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it 43 
submits such report or February 1, 2026, whichever is later. 44  Substitute Bill No. 7242 
 
 
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Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) Subject to the provisions of title 9 45 
of the general statutes and section 7-192a of the general statutes, any 46 
municipality may, within existing resources, establish a pilot program 47 
to promote the goal of achieving one hundred per cent voter 48 
participation in such municipality. Such pilot program may include 49 
efforts to enhance civic engagement, including, but not limited to, the 50 
development and conduct of a voter outreach and education campaign 51 
within such municipality. 52 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 July 1, 2025 New section 
Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 New section 
 
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:   
In Section 2, "the achievement of" was changed to "the goal of achieving" 
for clarity. 
 
GAE Joint Favorable Subst.