Pennsylvania 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB488 Introduced / Bill

                     
PRINTER'S NO. 460 
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL 
No.488 
Session of 
2025 
INTRODUCED BY COLLETT, STREET, SAVAL, COMITTA, KEARNEY, HAYWOOD, 
KANE, COSTA, SANTARSIERO AND MUTH, MARCH 21, 2025 
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 21, 2025 
AN ACT
Amending Title 25 (Elections) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated 
Statutes, in preliminary provisions relating to voter 
registration, further providing for definitions; in 
registration system, further providing for SURE system; in 
voter registration, further providing for qualifications to 
register and for government agencies, providing for 
preregistration data entry and further providing for 
preparation and distribution of applications; and, in changes 
in records, further providing for death of registrant.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1.  Section 1102 of Title 25 of the Pennsylvania 
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding definitions to read:
§ 1102.  Definitions.
Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent 
provisions of this part which are applicable to specific 
provisions of this part, the following words and phrases when 
used in this part shall have the meanings given to them in this 
section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"Preregistrant."  A person who is at least 16 years of age, 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21 but not yet 18 years of age, who is otherwise eligible to 
register to vote in accordance with this part.
"Preregistration."  A process in which a preregistrant 
submits the information necessary for voter registration and 
inclusion into the SURE system in accordance with this part 
prior to the time at which the preregistrant is eligible to 
actively register to vote under section 1301 (relating to 
qualifications to register).
* * *
Section 2.  Section 1222(c) of Title 25 is amended by adding 
paragraphs to read:
§ 1222.  SURE system.
* * *
(c)  Requirements.--The SURE system shall be developed as a 
single, uniform integrated computer system. All commissions 
shall be connected electronically to the SURE system and shall 
maintain their registration records in the system. The SURE 
system shall, at a minimum, do all of the following:
* * *
(22)  Contain a code to enable identification and 
tracking of preregistration status.
(23)  Automatically activate the registration of a 
preregistrant no later than the preregistrant's 18th 
birthday.
* * *
Section 3.  Section 1301(a) of Title 25 is amended and the 
section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 1301.  Qualifications to register.
(a)  Eligibility.--[ An] Except as provided in subsection 
(a.1), an individual [who] shall be eligible to register to vote 
20250SB0488PN0460 	- 2 - 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30 if the individual:
(1)  will be at least 18 years of age on the day of the 
next election[, who];
(2)  has been a citizen of the United States for at least 
one month prior to the next election and [ who] has resided in 
this Commonwealth and the election district where the 
individual offers to vote for at least 30 days prior to the 
next ensuing election ; and
(3) has not been confined in a penal institution for a 
conviction of a felony within the last five years [ shall be 
eligible to register as provided in this chapter ].
(a.1)  Preregistration.--Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1), a 
preregistrant may preregister to vote, provided that the 
preregistrant may not vote in any election before reaching 18 
years of age. The department shall provide guidance within 90 
days of the effective date of this subsection to assist 
commissions in implementing preregistration.
* * *
Section 4.  Section 1325(b)(4) of Title 25 is amended to 
read:
§ 1325.  Government agencies.
* * *
(b)  Forms.--An agency designated in subsection (a) shall 
provide a form for office visits or, if the agency provides 
services to persons with disabilities, for home visits which 
contains all of the following:
* * *
(4)  The statement "In order to be qualified to register 
to vote, you must be at least 18 years of age on the day of 
the next election, you must have been a citizen of the United 
20250SB0488PN0460 	- 3 - 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30 States for at least one month prior to the next election and 
have resided in Pennsylvania and the election district where 
you plan to vote for at least 30 days prior to the next 
election, and you must not have been confined in a penal 
institution for a conviction of a felony within the last five 
years[."]. You may preregister to vote if you are at least 16 
years of age, provided you may not vote in an election until 
you reach 18 years of age."
* * *
Section 5.  Title 25 is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 1326.1.  Preregistration data entry.
In the case of preregistration, each commission shall enter 
preregistration information into the SURE system upon receipt of 
the information and ensure that each preregistrant is actively 
registered to vote no later than the preregistrant's 18th 
birthday.
Section 6.  Sections 1327(a)(4)(iii) and (b)(1)(ii) and 
1505(a) of Title 25 are amended to read:
§ 1327.  Preparation and distribution of applications.
(a)  Form.--
* * *
(4)  A voter registration application shall be printed on 
stock of good quality and shall be of suitable uniform size. 
Nothing in this part shall prohibit the design and use of an 
electronic voter registration application which includes the 
applicant's digitized or electronic signature. The 
registration application shall contain the following 
information; however, the information may be provided on a 
separate form for voter registration made under section 1323 
or 1325:
20250SB0488PN0460 	- 4 - 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30 * * *
(iii)  Notice that the applicant must be a citizen of 
the United States for at least one month prior to the 
next election and a resident of this Commonwealth and the 
election district for at least 30 days and must be at 
least 18 years of age by the day of the next ensuing 
election, unless the individual is at least 16 years of 
age and preregisters to vote, and has not been confined 
in a penal institution for a conviction of a felony 
within the last five years. The notice required in this 
subparagraph shall be in print identical to the 
declaration under subsection (b).
* * *
(b)  Registration declaration.--
(1)  The official voter registration application shall 
contain a registration declaration. On the declaration, the 
applicant shall state all of the following:
* * *
(ii)  On the day of the next ensuing election, the 
applicant shall be at least 18 years of age[ .], unless 
the applicant is preregistering to vote in the next 
election in which the individual reaches 18 years of age.
* * *
§ 1505.  Death of registrant.
(a)  Department of Health.--A commission shall cancel the 
registration of a registered elector or the preregistration of a 
preregistrant reported dead by the Department of Health. The 
Department of Health shall, within 60 days of receiving notice 
of the death of an individual [ 18] 16 years of age or older, 
send the name and address of residence of that individual to a 
20250SB0488PN0460 	- 5 - 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30 commission in a manner and on a form prescribed by the 
department. The commission shall promptly update information 
contained in its registration records.
* * *
Section 7.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20250SB0488PN0460 	- 6 - 
1
2
3
4
5