SB 732 - HB 934 FISCAL NOTE Fiscal Review Committee Tennessee General Assembly March 1, 2025 Fiscal Analyst: Christine Drescher | Email: christine.drescher@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564 SB 732 - HB 934 SUMMARY OF BILL: Defines “form of identification for voter identification” for the purpose of verifying a person’s identification on an application for ballot. Requires the Coordinator of Elections (COE) to promulgate rules for training all election commissioners, election employees, election officials, and poll workers for procedures at the polls. Requires the COE, in concurrence with the Secretary of State (SOS), to provide information to the public regarding how to obtain and use proper voter identification. Deletes references to punchcard ballots. Prohibits a digital source from being used for the verification of residential address. FISCAL IMPACT: STATE GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES General Fund FY25-26 $34,700 FY26-27 $69,400 Assumptions: • Tennessee Code Annotated § 2-7-112(c) states that, for the purpose of verifying a person’s identification on an application for ballot, evidence of identification must be: o A Tennessee driver license; o A valid identification card issued by the state of Tennessee or the United States, provided that it contains a photograph of the voter; o A valid United States passport; o A valid employee identification card issued by Tennessee or the United States, provided that it contains a photograph of the voter; o A valid United States military identification card; or, o An employee identification card for retired state employees; and, o Prohibits the use of an identification card issued to a student by an institution of higher education. • Pursuant to the proposed legislation, “form of identification for voter identification” must: o Have been obtained with documented proof of citizenship of the United States; o Include the voter’s photograph, current residential address, and expiration date of the identification; o Indicate that the individual meets eligibility requirements for voting, including citizenship of the United States; o Accommodate for the permanently disabled and include a process for permanent identification; and SB 732 - HB 934 2 o Not be an identification card issued to a student by an institution of higher education. • In order to properly educate the public on the change of authorized voter identification, along with the prohibition on digital source from being used for the verification of a residential address, the Division of Elections will need to carry out an education campaign in the months prior to the May, August, and November elections. • According to information provided by the SOS, the education campaign will result in an increase in state expenditures of $34,676 per month; therefore, there will be an increase in state expenditures of $34,676 in FY25-26 and $69,352 ($34,676 x 2 elections) in FY26-27. • The COE will be able to promulgate rules for training all election commissioners, employees, officials, and poll workers by utilizing existing staff and resources and without any significant increase in expenditures. • Removing references to punchcard ballots will not have any operational effect on state or local governments. CERTIFICATION: The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. Bojan Savic, Executive Director