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Regular Session, 2010
SENATE BILL NO. 225
BY SENATOR LAFLEUR
VOTERS/VOTING. Provides that certain applications for resident hunting, fishing, or
trapping licenses will also serve as applications for voter registration. (8/15/10)
AN ACT1
To enact R.S. 18:114.1, relative to voter registrations; to provide that certain applications for2
hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses will also serve as the applicant's application3
for voter registration; to provide for procedures for voter registration through4
application for hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses; and to provide for related5
matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. R.S. 18:114.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:8
ยง114.1. Registration by hunting, fishing, and trapping license application9
A. It is the intention of the legislature to encourage the broadest possible10
participation in the electoral process by the citizens of this state. Therefore, any11
person otherwise eligible shall be able to register as an elector by making12
application through the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries as provided in13
this Section.14
B. Each application to obtain a resident hunting, fishing, or trapping15
license issued by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries pursuant to Chapter16
1 of Title 56 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and made by an17 SB NO. 225
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applicant who is within six months of such applicant's eighteenth birthday or1
older shall also serve as an application for voter registration unless the2
applicant declines to register to vote through specific declination or by failing3
to sign the voter registration application.4
C. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Secretary of State5
shall agree upon and design such procedures and forms as will be necessary to6
comply with this Section, including without limitation procedures applicable to7
processing of applications received by persons approved as license agents for the8
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.9
D. The forms designed by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and10
the Secretary of State:11
(1) Shall not require the applicant to duplicate any information required12
in the resident hunting, fishing, or trapping license portion of the application13
with the exception of a second signature.14
(2) Shall include such information as required on other voter registration15
cards issued by the Secretary of State.16
(3) Shall contain a statement that states each eligibility requirement17
contained in Chapter 1 of Title 56 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,18
that contains an attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement, and19
that requires the signature of the applicant under penalty of false swearing20
pursuant to R.S. 14:125.21
(4) Shall include, in print that is identical to that used in the attestation,22
the penalties provided by law for submission of a false voter registration23
application, and a statement that, if an applicant declines to register to vote, the24
fact that the applicant has declined to register will remain confidential and will25
be used only for voter registration purposes.26
E. Any person when acting as a license agent for the Department of27
Wildlife and Fisheries shall not:28
(1) Seek to influence an applicant's political preference.29 SB NO. 225
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(2) Display on his or her person any such political preference or political1
party or body allegiance.2
(3) Make any statement to an applicant or take any action, the purpose3
or effect of which, is to discourage the applicant from applying to register to4
vote.5
(4) Make any statement to an applicant or take any action, the purpose6
or effect of which, is to lead the applicant to believe that a decision to apply to7
register or not to apply to register to vote has any bearing on the availability of8
services or benefits.9
F. License agents for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries acting10
under this Section shall not be considered to be deputy registrars pursuant to11
this Chapter or any rules and regulations promulgated hereunder.12
G. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shall transmit the13
completed applications for voter registration to the Secretary of State at the14
conclusion of each business day. The Secretary of State shall forward the15
applications to the appropriate parish registrar of voters to determine the16
eligibility of the applicant and, if found eligible, to add the applicant's name to17
the list of electors and to place the applicant in the correct precinct and voting18
districts.19
H. The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shall maintain such20
statistical records on the number of registrations and declinations as requested21
by the Secretary of State.22
I. Information relating to the failure of an applicant for a resident23
hunting, fishing, or trapping license issued by the Department of Wildlife and24
Fisheries to sign a voter registration application shall not be used for any25
purpose other than voter registration and shall not be subject to public26
inspection.27
J. The Secretary of State and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries28
shall have the authority to promulgate rules and regulations to provide for the29 SB NO. 225
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transmission of voter registration applications and signatures electronically.1
Such electronically transmitted signatures shall be valid as signatures on the2
voter registration application and shall be treated in all respects as a manually3
written original signature and shall be recognized as such in any matter4
concerning the voter registration application.5
K. The forms and procedures to implement and administer this Section6
shall be designed in a manner such that license agents for the Department of7
Wildlife and Fisheries shall not incur any expenses nor be required to make any8
reports in implementing and administering this Section in addition to those9
presently required of such license agents in issuing fishing, hunting, and10
trapping licenses, other than providing information to the Department of11
Wildlife and Fisheries at the time the license application is processed necessary12
to comply with state and federal voter laws on voter registration.13
L. License agents for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries acting14
pursuant to this Section whose businesses are authorized to sell alcoholic15
beverages for on-premises consumption may notify the department of their16
desire to opt out of the requirements of this Section and shall thereafter not be17
required to comply with this Section.18
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Alden A. Clement, Jr.
DIGEST
Proposed law provides that any person who is otherwise eligible to register to vote will be
able to register as an elector by making application through the Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries as provided in proposed law.
Proposed law provides that each application to obtain a resident hunting, fishing, or trapping
license issued by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries pursuant to present law and made
by an applicant who is within six months of such applicant's 18
th
birthday or older will also
serve as an application for voter registration, unless the applicant declines to register to vote
through specific declination or by failing to sign the voter registration application.
Proposed law provides that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Secretary of
State are to agree upon and design such procedures and forms as necessary to comply with
proposed law, including procedures applicable to processing of applications received by
persons approved as license agents for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Proposed law provides that the forms designed by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries SB NO. 225
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
and the Secretary of State:
(1) Cannot require the applicant to duplicate any information required in the resident
hunting, fishing, or trapping license portion of the application with the exception of
a second signature.
(2) Must include such information as required on other voter registration cards issued
by the Secretary of State.
(3) Must contain a statement that states each eligibility requirement contained in present
law and an attestation that the applicant meets each such requirement, and must
require the signature of the applicant under penalty of false swearing.
(4) Must include, in print that is identical to that used in the attestation, the penalties
provided by present law for submission of a false voter registration application, and
a statement that, if an applicant declines to register to vote, the fact that the applicant
has declined to register will remain confidential and will be used only for voter
registration purposes.
Proposed law provides that any person acting as a license agent for the Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries cannot:
(1) Seek to influence an applicant's political preference.
(2) Display on his or her person any such political preference or political party or body
allegiance.
(3) Make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which
is to discourage the applicant from applying to register to vote.
(4) Make any statement to an applicant or take any action the purpose or effect of which
is to lead the applicant to believe that a decision to apply to register or not to apply
to register to vote has any bearing on the availability of services or benefits.
Proposed law provides that license agents for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
acting under proposed law cannot be considered to be deputy registrars under proposed law
or any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Proposed law provides that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is to transmit the
completed applications for voter registration to the Secretary of State at the conclusion of
each business day. Proposed law further provides that the Secretary of State is to forward the
applications to the appropriate parish registrar of voters to determine the eligibility of the
applicant and, if found eligible, to add the applicant's name to the list of electors and to place
the applicant in the correct precinct and voting districts.
Proposed law provides that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is to maintain such
statistical records on the number of registrations and declinations as requested by the
Secretary of State.
Proposed law provides that information relating to the failure of an applicant for a resident
hunting, fishing, or trapping license issued by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to
sign a voter registration application cannot be used for any purpose other than voter
registration and is not subject to public inspection.
Proposed law provides that the Secretary of State and the Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries have the authority to promulgate rules and regulations to provide for the
transmission of voter registration applications and signatures electronically. Proposed law
provides that such electronically transmitted signatures are valid as signatures on the voter SB NO. 225
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registration application and are to be treated in all respects as a manually written original
signature and are to be recognized as such in any matter concerning the voter registration
application.
Proposed law provides that the forms and procedures to implement and administer proposed
law are to be designed in a manner such that license agents for the Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries will not incur any expenses nor be required to make any reports in
implementing and administering proposed law in addition to those presently required of such
license agents by present law in issuing fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses, other than
providing information to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at the time the license
application is processed necessary to comply with state and federal voter laws on voter
registration.
Proposed law provides that license agents for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
acting under proposed law whose businesses are authorized to sell alcoholic beverages for
on-premises consumption may notify the department of their desire to opt out of the
requirements of proposed law and thereafter are not required to comply with proposed law.
Effective August 15, 2010.
(Adds R.S. 18:114.1)