Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 2, Part 1.

Present law requires the state office of vital records of the department of health to provide to the coordinator of elections a monthly, or more frequent, report of all persons 18 or older who have died in this state. The report must list the deaths by county with the names in alphabetical order, and must contain each decedent's full name, last address, date and place of birth, and social security number.<br /> <br /> This bill adds that the report must also contain the date of death and the date of report to the coordinator of elections. This bill provides that if the date of death for a decedent is not able to be provided, then the state office of vital records must clearly delineate the date of death as "UNKNOWN," or otherwise use a standard and uniform designation to convey the same meaning, which can be quantified for reporting analysis.<br /> <br /> Present law requires the coordinator of elections to annually obtain information regarding Tennessee residents 18 or older identified as deceased by the federal social security administration death master file, and, after obtaining the information, to notify each county election commission of all persons of voting age who are listed as deceased with an address in their county.<br /> <br /> This bill adds the following to the above provision:<br /> <br /> (1) The coordinator of elections must do the following:<br /> <br /> (A) In a year with a November general election, obtain the information required no more than 60 days prior to the date of a November general election; and<br /> <br /> (B) In a year without a November general election, obtain the information required in March and September;<br /> <br /> (2) The coordinator of elections may obtain the information required at any other time of the year aside from the designated requirements of (1)(A) and (1)(B);<br /> <br /> (3) The report must contain the date of death and date of report to the coordinator of elections; and<br /> <br /> (4) If the date of death for a decedent is not provided by the federal social security administration death master file, then the coordinator of elections is required to clearly delineate the date of death as "UNKNOWN," or otherwise use a standard and uniform designation to convey the same meaning, which can be quantified for reporting analysis.<br /> <br /> This bill requires the date of death, or its standard and uniform designation if unknown, and the date of report to the coordinator of elections to be included in notifications and reports compiled or transmitted by the coordinator of elections and distributed to county election commissions under this bill. The county election commissions are then required to update the voter registration record to include the date of death, or its standard and uniform designation if unknown, the date of report to the coordinator of elections, the date received by the county election commission, and the source of the report.<br /> <br /> RECORDS<br /> <br /> This bill requires the coordinator of elections and the county election commission to retain both an electronic and paper copy of all reports and information received under this section for a minimum of 24 months. The reports and information are open to public records request and inspection pursuant to this bill, and public notice is required to be given 30 days in advance of their destruction.<br /> <br /> REPORT<br /> <br /> This bill requires the coordinator of elections to prepare a report for the general assembly on an annual basis that measures the timeliness, data latency, and accuracy of date of death information. The report must include, at a minimum, the number of unknown dates of death by report source, the number of known dates of death by report source, the proportion of unknown dates of death to the total counts of dates of death by report source, and an analysis of the length of time from the date of death to the point at which this information is updated in the state automated electoral system and the county election commission voter registration systems, by report source. This bill requires a copy of this report to be published and accessible by the public on the secretary of state's website no later than 30 days from its submission to the general assembly, and both an electronic and paper copy must be retained for a minimum of seven years.<br />