Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 4.

This bill requires the department of safety to automatically register a qualified person to vote from information on an application for a driver license or photo identification card unless the person opts out; designates certain other state departments, and agencies and offices thereof, as voter registration agencies; and requires such agencies to automatically register a qualified person to vote from information on an application for services unless the person opts out, as discussed below.<br /> <br /> Under present law, the department of safety includes a voter registration application as part of any motor vehicle driver license application or photo identification license used in this state. Generally, an individual who completes the application and is otherwise eligible is registered to vote in accordance with the information supplied by the individual.<br /> <br /> This bill rewrites the above provisions so that under this bill the department of safety and each county election commission will register voters in accordance with the following:<br /> <br /> (1) The department of safety will obtain, as part of any application for the issuance or renewal of a driver license or photo identification license, the information required to register a voter in this state. An application must include a box to permit the applicant to decline to register to vote. This bill details other requirements for the application, including an attestation to permit the applicant, under penalty of perjury, and by the applicant's signature, to indicate whether the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in this state; and<br /> (2) The department of safety will provide to the appropriate county election commission a copy of the application of each applicant who does not check the box to indicate that the applicant declines to register to vote and who signs the attestation on the application indicating that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in this state.<br /> <br /> Under present law, in addition to any other voter registration procedure described above through the department of safety, the following serve as voter registration agencies: <br /> <br /> (1) All offices in the state that provide public assistance; <br /> (2) All offices in the state that provide state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities; and <br /> (3) Public libraries, public high schools, offices of county clerks and offices of county registers of deeds. <br /> <br /> This bill rewrites (1) and (2) above to instead provide that all state departments and agencies thereof are voter registration agencies. The registration procedures set out in present law for the entities described above in (1) and (2), which will now apply to all state agencies, are revised by this bill to specify that as part of any application for service or assistance, the state agency must obtain the information required to register to vote in this state. Generally, the information in the application and procedure will correspond with the information and procedure described above for voter registration when obtaining a driver license or photo identification. Similar to present law, this bill requires registering agencies that provide assistance to include statements that the registering to vote or declining to register does not affect the amount of assistance provided by the agency; that the person may obtain assistance in filling out the voter registration form; and that the person may file a complaint with the coordinator of elections if the person believes that another has interfered with that person's right to register or decline to register to vote. <br /> <br /> This bill provides that registering agencies may exhaust existing supplies of application, forms, and documents before meeting the form requirements of this bill. For rulemaking purposes, this bill will take effect upon becoming law. For all other purposes, this bill will take effect January 1, 2020.<br /> <br />