Florida Senate - 2015                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 228
       
       
       
       
       
       
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                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/17/2015           .                                
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       The Committee on Ethics and Elections (Clemens) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 97.0525, Florida Statutes, is created to
    6  read:
    7         97.0525 Online voter registration.—
    8         (1) Beginning October 1, 2017, an applicant may submit an
    9  online voter registration application using the procedures set
   10  forth in this section.
   11         (2) The division shall establish a secure Internet website
   12  to permit an applicant to:
   13         (a) Submit a voter registration application, including
   14  first-time voter registration applications and updates to
   15  existing voter registration records.
   16         (b) Submit information necessary to establish an
   17  applicant’s eligibility to vote, pursuant to s. 97.041, which
   18  must include the information required for the uniform statewide
   19  voter registration application pursuant to s. 97.052(2).
   20         (c) Swear to the oath required pursuant to s. 97.051.
   21         (3) The division shall establish appropriate technological
   22  security measures, including use of a unique identifier for each
   23  applicant, to prevent unauthorized persons from altering a
   24  voter’s registration information.
   25         (4)(a) The online voter registration system shall compare
   26  the Florida driver license number or Florida identification
   27  number submitted pursuant to s. 97.052(2)(n) with information
   28  maintained by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
   29  Vehicles to confirm that the name and date of birth on the
   30  application are consistent with the records of the Department of
   31  Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
   32         (b) If the applicant’s name and date of birth are
   33  consistent with the records of the Department of Highway Safety
   34  and Motor Vehicles, the online voter registration system shall
   35  transmit, using the statewide voter registration system
   36  maintained pursuant to s. 98.035, the applicant’s registration
   37  application, along with the digital signature of the applicant
   38  on file with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
   39  Vehicles, to the supervisor of elections. The applicant’s
   40  digital signature satisfies the signature requirement of s.
   41  97.052(2)(q).
   42         (c) If the applicant’s name and date of birth cannot be
   43  verified by the records of the Department of Highway Safety and
   44  Motor Vehicles, or if the applicant indicated that he or she has
   45  not been issued a Florida driver license or Florida
   46  identification card, the online voter registration system shall
   47  populate the applicant’s information into a printable voter
   48  registration application pursuant to s. 97.052(2) and direct the
   49  applicant to print, sign, and date the application and deliver
   50  the application to the supervisor of elections for disposition
   51  pursuant to s. 97.073.
   52         (5) Upon submission of a completed online voter
   53  registration application, the website must generate an immediate
   54  electronic confirmation that the supervisor of elections has
   55  received the application and provide instructions regarding the
   56  ability of a registrant to check the status of the application
   57  thereafter.
   58         (6) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the
   59  supervisor of elections shall process the application pursuant
   60  to s. 97.053.
   61         (7) The online voter registration system must conform to
   62  nationally accepted standards for accessibility for individuals
   63  with disabilities, including s. 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of
   64  1973, s. 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the Web
   65  Content Accessibility Guidelines of the World Wide Web
   66  Consortium, to ensure equal access for voters with disabilities.
   67         (8) A legal distinction may not be made between online
   68  voter registration under this section and voter registration in
   69  person, by mail, or by other methods provided by general law.
   70         Section 2. No later than January 1, 2016, the Division of
   71  Elections shall submit a report to the President of the Senate
   72  and the Speaker of the House of Representatives regarding the
   73  implementation of online voter registration. In the report, the
   74  division shall summarize progress to date in implementing online
   75  voter registration and expected implementation timeframes, and
   76  shall propose any further legislation needed to facilitate
   77  online voter registration.
   78         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
   79  
   80  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   81  And the title is amended as follows:
   82         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   83  and insert:
   84                        A bill to be entitled                      
   85         An act relating to online voter registration; creating
   86         s. 97.0525, F.S.; requiring the Division of Elections
   87         of the Department of State to develop an online voter
   88         registration system; providing application and
   89         security requirements; requiring the system to compare
   90         information submitted online with Department of
   91         Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records; providing
   92         for the disposition of voter registration
   93         applications; requiring system compliance with federal
   94         accessibility provisions; providing for construction;
   95         requiring the division to report to the Legislature
   96         regarding online voter registration implementation by
   97         a specified date; providing an effective date.