House File 165 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 165 BY STAED , STECKMAN , KURTH , CROKEN , JACOBY , GJERDE , KRESSIG , BAGNIEWSKI , LEVIN , BAETH , CAHILL , BUCK , AMOS , BROWN-POWERS , EHLERT , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , GAINES , JAMES , and WILSON A BILL FOR An Act relating to voter registration activities at schools. 1 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 2 TLSB 1897YH (3) 90 ss/ns
H.F. 165 Section 1. Section 48A.23, subsection 1, Code 2023, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. At least twice during each school year, the board of 3 directors of each school district operating a high school and 4 the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school 5 shall offer the opportunity to register to vote to each student 6 who is at least seventeen years of age as provided in this 7 subsection . 8 a. The board of directors of each school district operating 9 a high school and the authorities in charge of each accredited 10 nonpublic school shall allow each student who is at least 11 seventeen years of age to register to vote during school hours 12 on the fourth Tuesday in September of each year, or on the next 13 available school day if school is not in session on that day. 14 b. The board of directors of each school district operating 15 a high school and the authorities in charge of each accredited 16 nonpublic school shall coordinate with the commissioner of 17 registration to organize a second opportunity to allow each 18 student who is at least seventeen years of age to register to 19 vote during school hours, which shall occur later than the 20 date provided in paragraph a , and shall be conducted by the 21 commissioner or the commissioners designee. 22 c. The state registrar of voters shall prepare materials 23 regarding voter registration to be distributed at each voter 24 registration activity conducted pursuant to this subsection. 25 d. The board of directors of each school district 26 operating a high school and the authorities in charge of each 27 accredited nonpublic school shall file a report regarding voter 28 registration activities conducted pursuant to this section with 29 the department of education by December 31 of each year. 30 EXPLANATION 31 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 32 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 33 This bill relates to voter registration activities conducted 34 at schools. The bill requires the board of directors of each 35 -1- LSB 1897YH (3) 90 ss/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 165 school district operating a high school and the authorities in 1 charge of each accredited nonpublic school to allow students 2 who are at least 17 years of age to register to vote during 3 school hours on the fourth Tuesday in September of each year, 4 or on the next available school day if school is not in session 5 on that day, and on a second day after that date. The second 6 voter registration opportunity shall be conducted by the county 7 commissioner of registration or the commissioners designee. 8 The bill requires the state registrar of voters to prepare 9 materials to be distributed at each such voter registration 10 opportunity. The bill also requires the board of directors 11 of each school district operating a high school and the 12 authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school to 13 file a report regarding voter registration activities with the 14 department of education by December 31 of each year. 15 -2- LSB 1897YH (3) 90 ss/ns 2/ 2