SLS 21RS-425 REENGROSSED
2021 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 219
BY SENATOR CLOUD
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
VOTERS/VOTING. Provides relative to voter rolls. (6/1/22)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 18:174, relative to voter records; to provide for reporting requirements; to
3 provide for definitions; to provide for canvassing of registrants; to provide for
4 address changes and corrections; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 18:174 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 ยง174. Publicly owned utility
8 A. The chief administrative officer of each publicly owned utility in the
9 state may send to the Department of State in a manner specified by the
10 department a report, certified as correct over his signature or the signature of
11 his authorized representative, containing the name, date of birth, mother's
12 maiden name, address, telephone number, Louisiana driver's license or special
13 identification card issued pursuant to R.S. 40:1321 number, service connection
14 date, and service disconnection date, if available, of all residential customers in
15 the area served by the utility on no less than a quarterly basis. The report shall
16 also contain the last four digits of the social security number of all residential
17 customers in the area served by the utility, if available.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 219
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1 B. For purposes of this Section, "publicly owned utility" means any
2 publicly owned or municipally controlled company, corporation, partnership,
3 business, system, or person that provides gas, electricity, or water to residential
4 consumers in Louisiana.
5 C. Beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, in each parish
6 with a publicly owned utility operating within the parish or in any portion of the
7 parish, the registrar of voters may verify the names and addresses of registrants
8 in all precincts in the area served by the utility using the report provided by the
9 utility.
10 D. In conducting the verification, if the utility operator provides an
11 address inside the parish that is different from the voter's address as it appears
12 on his voter registration, the registrar of voters shall send the voter an address
13 confirmation card as provided in R.S. 18:198.
14 Section 2. This Act shall become effective on June 1, 2022; if vetoed by the
15 governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become effective on
16 June 1, 2022, or on the day following such approval by the legislature, whichever is later.
The original instrument was prepared by LG Sullivan. The following digest,
which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was prepared
by Matt DeVille.
DIGEST
SB 219 Reengrossed 2021 Regular Session Cloud
Proposed law provides that the chief administrative officer of each publicly owned utility
in the state may send a report to the Department of State containing the name, date of birth,
mother's maiden name, address, telephone number, Louisiana driver's license or special
identification card number, service connection and disconnection date, if available, of every
residential customer in the area served by the utility on no less than a quarterly basis.
Proposed law further provides that the report shall contain the last four digits of the
residential customers' social security number.
Proposed law defines "publicly owned utility" as any publicly owned or municipally
controlled company, corporation, partnership, business, system, or person that provides gas,
electricity, or water to residential customers in Louisiana.
Proposed law provides that in each parish with a publicly owned utility operating within the
parish or a portion of the parish the parish registrar of voters may utilize the report from the
publicly owned utility to verify the names and addresses of registered voters in all precincts
served by the utility beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.
Proposed law provides that if the utility operator provides an address that is different from
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 219
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the voter's address as it appears on his voter registration during the verification process, the
registrar of voters shall send the voter an address confirmation card as provided in present
law.
Effective June 1, 2022.
(Adds R.S. 18:174)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Senate and
Governmental Affairs to the original bill
1. Makes annual canvass of utility records permissive.
2. Removes provisions making failure to conduct the canvass willful
misconduct.
Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill
1. Allows each publicly owned utility to report residential customer information
to the Department of State.
2. Specifies the customer information required in the report.
3. Defines publicly owned utility.
4. Establishes when a parish registrar of voters may utilize the report to verify
names and addresses of registered voters in all precincts served by the utility.
5. Requires the registrar of voters to send the voter an address verification card
if the utility report contains an address inside the parish that is different from
the voter's address as it appears on his voter registration.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.