Amends TCA Title 2; Title 40 and Title 41.

PURGING VOTER REGISTRATION Present law requires the voter registration of a person to be purged upon receiving information that a person has been convicted of an infamous crime from the state coordinator of elections, the district attorney general, U.S. attorney, clerk of the court that entered the conviction, or another source upon verification by the clerk of the convicting court. This bill deletes this provision. INFAMOUS CRIME This bill requires the administrator of elections to place a voter registration in suspended status upon receiving information that a person has been convicted of an infamous crime from the state coordinator of elections, the district attorney general, U.S. attorney, clerk of the court that entered the conviction, or other source upon verification by the clerk of the convicting court. This bill provides that such suspended voter registrations are not included in a county's total of registered voters. The administrator of elections must report suspended voter registrations to the state coordinator of elections, and the state coordinator of elections must maintain a list of such suspended voter registrations. RESTORATION OF VOTING RIGHTS Present law authorizes any person who has forfeited the right to vote because of a conviction of an infamous crime to register to vote, and vote at any election for which the person is eligible, by submitting sufficient proof to the administrator of elections in the county in which the person is seeking to register to vote, that (i) the person has been pardoned and the right to vote has been restored; (ii) the person's full rights of citizenship have been restored; or (iii) an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction. Present law provides that the state election coordinator is empowered to formulate a uniform procedure for verifying the registration eligibility of any person convicted of an infamous crime. This bill deletes the provisions above and, instead, provides the following: (1) A person who has temporarily forfeited the right to vote because of a conviction of an infamous crime is eligible to vote automatically upon confirmation that (i) the person has completed their sentence, including any parole or probationary period; or (ii) an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction; (2) For (1) above, a certificate of final discharge from supervision or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate court of competent jurisdiction is sufficient proof to the administrator that the person fulfills the above requirements as to the offense specified on the certificate of final discharge or judgment; and (3) The state coordinator of elections must formulate a uniform procedure for automatically verifying the registration eligibility of any person convicted of an infamous crime and updating the appropriate administrator of elections of any changes to the suspended voter registration list. Upon receiving sufficient verification of the person's eligibility to register, the administrator must allow the person to become a registered voter or reactivate their voter registration in the same manner and in accordance with the same laws or rules as any other citizen of this state. DUTIES OF COORDINATOR Present law requires the coordinator of elections to devise and furnish to the clerks of the circuit and criminal courts a form to be used for notifying county election commissions of the fact that a registered voter in their county has been convicted of an infamous crime and therefore should be purged from the registration records. This bill revises this provision by (i) removing the reference to purging the conviction from the registration records and (ii) adding that the coordinator of elections must devise and furnish to the department of correction a form to be used to notify the county election commissions of the fact that a suspended voter in their county has completed their sentence and is eligible for automatic restoration of their voting rights. Present law requires the coordinator of elections to instruct the administrators in each county that they are to purge the registration of any person appearing on the infamous crime list who is registered to vote in their county. This bill revises this provision to, instead, require the coordinator of elections to instruct the administrators in each county to (i) suspend the registration of any person who is registered to vote in their county when notified that the person has been convicted of an infamous crime; and (ii) restore to the voting rolls any person whose registration has been suspended in their county when notified that the person has completed their sentence or received a copy of the final judgment reversing the person's conviction or convictions of all infamous crimes. This bill also requires the coordinator of elections to maintain a list of individuals whose voting rights have been suspended for conviction of an infamous crime. VOTING RIGHTS FOR PERSON CONVICTED OF INFAMOUS CRIMES Present law prohibits a person who has been convicted of an infamous crime in this state from registering to vote, or voting at any election, unless such person has been pardoned by the governor, or the person's full rights of citizenship have otherwise been restored. However, the governor may attach to any such pardon a special condition that such person does not have the right to vote until a date certain in the future, or until the expiration of the pardoned sentence, whichever period of time is less. This bill revises the present law to, instead, prohibit a person who has been convicted of an infamous crime from registering to vote, or voting at any election, unless (i) the person has completed their sentence, including any parole or probationary period; or (ii) an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction. Present law prohibits a person who has been convicted in another state of a crime or offense that would constitute an infamous crime under the laws of this state, regardless of the sentence imposed, from registering to vote, or voting at any election, in this state unless such person has been pardoned or restored to the rights of citizenship by the governor or other appropriate authority of such other state, or the person's full rights of citizenship have otherwise been restored in accordance with the laws of such other state, or the law of this state. This bill revises the present law to, instead, prohibit a person who has been so convicted in another state, regardless of the sentence imposed, from registering to vote, or voting at any election, in this state unless (i) the person has completed their sentence, including any parole or probationary period; or (ii) an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction or convictions of all infamous crimes. JUDGMENT OF INFAMY Present law provides that upon conviction for a felony, it must be the judgment of the court that the defendant be infamous and be immediately disqualified from exercising the right to vote. This bill revises this provision to, instead, provide that a criminal offense designated as a felony at the time of conviction is an infamous crime, and a person convicted of an infamous crime is immediately suspended from exercising the right to vote. FELONS CONVICTED OF INFAMOUS CRIMES Present law provides that for all persons convicted of infamous crimes after July 1, 1986, but before July 1, 1996, a person rendered infamous or deprived of the rights of citizenship by the judgment of any state or federal court may have full rights of citizenship restored upon receiving a pardon, except where the pardon contains special conditions pertaining to the right to vote. This bill changes the present law and authorizes, instead, a person rendered infamous or deprived of the rights of citizenship by the judgment of any state or federal court may have full rights of citizenship restored upon receiving a pardon, but without reestablishing the person's right to vote. Present law requires, for all persons convicted of infamous crimes after July 1, 1986, but before July 1, 1996, the following procedures to apply: (1) Any person eligible for restoration of citizenship may request, and then must be issued, a certificate of restoration upon a form prescribed by the coordinator of elections, by the pardoning authority or an agent or officer of the supervising or incarcerating authority; (2) Any authority issuing a certificate of restoration must forward a copy of the certificate to the coordinator of elections; (3) Any person issued a certificate of restoration must submit, to the administrator of elections of the county in which the person is eligible to vote, the certificate and upon verification of the certificate with the coordinator of elections be issued a voter registration card entitling the person to vote; and (4) A certificate of restoration issued pursuant to (3) above must be sufficient proof to the administrator of elections that the person fulfills the requirements provided in existing law; however, before allowing a person convicted of an infamous crime to become a registered voter, it is the duty of the administrator of elections in each county to verify with the coordinator of elections that the person is eligible to register. This bill deletes (1)-(4) above and, instead, requires, for all persons convicted of infamous crimes after July 1, 1986, but before July 1, 1996, the following procedures to apply: (1) A person who has been convicted of seditious conspiracy under federal law or who has engaged in insurrection against the U.S. in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is never eligible to register and vote in this state; (2) A person eligible for restoration of citizenship may request, and then must be issued, a certificate of restoration upon a form prescribed by the coordinator of elections, by the pardoning authority or an agent or officer of the supervising or incarcerating authority; (3) A person issued a certificate of restoration must submit either a certificate of final discharge from the appropriate supervising authority or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate court of competent jurisdiction to the administrator of elections of the county to be eligible to vote. Upon receiving a certificate of final discharge from the appropriate supervising authority or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate court of competent jurisdiction, the coordinator of elections must issue a voter registration card entitling the person to vote; and (4) Before allowing a person convicted of an infamous crime to become a registered voter, it is the duty of the administrator of elections in each county to verify with the coordinator of elections that the person is eligible to register to vote pursuant to existing law. Present law authorizes a person receiving a pardon that restores full rights of citizenship to petition for restoration immediately upon receiving the pardon. However, present law prohibits the court from having the authority or jurisdiction to alter, delete or render void special conditions pertaining to the right to vote that may be contained in the pardon. This bill deletes the present law prohibiting the court from having the authority or jurisdiction to alter, delete or render void special conditions pertaining to the right to vote that may be contained in the pardon. Present law also authorizes a person convicted of an infamous crime to petition for restoration upon the expiration of the maximum sentence imposed by the court for the infamous crime; provided, that a person convicted of murder, rape, treason or voter fraud must never be eligible to register and vote in this state. This bill deletes this provision and, instead, requires a person convicted of an infamous crime to receive a certificate of discharge from the department of correction or the appropriate supervising authority upon the completion of the sentence imposed by the court, including any parole or probationary period, for the infamous crime; however, a person convicted of murder, rape, treason, voter fraud, or seditious conspiracy or a person who has engaged in insurrection is ineligible to register and vote in this state. A person whose right to vote has been so restored must submit a certified copy of the order to the administrator of elections of the county in which the person is eligible to vote. The administrator of elections must verify with the coordinator of elections that the certificate of discharge was issued and, upon receiving the verification, must issue the person a voter registration card entitling the person to vote. APPLICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION CARD Present law provides that a person rendered infamous and deprived of the right to vote by the judgment of any state or federal court is eligible to apply for a voter registration card and have the right to vote restored upon the following: (1) Receiving a pardon, except where the pardon contains special conditions pertaining to the right to vote; (2) The discharge from custody by reason of service or expiration of the maximum sentence imposed by the court for the infamous crime; or (3) Being granted a certificate of final discharge from supervision by the board of parole, or any equivalent discharge by another state, the federal government, or county correction authority. However, present law prohibits a person from being eligible to apply for a voter registration card and having the right to vote restored, unless the person satisfies the following conditions: (1) Has paid all restitution to the victim or victims of the offense ordered by the court as part of the sentence; and (2) Beginning September 1, 2010, a person must not be eligible to apply for a voter registration card and have the right to vote restored, unless the person has paid all court costs assessed against the person at the conclusion of the person's trial, except where the court has made a finding at an evidentiary hearing that the applicant is indigent at the time of application. Present law prohibits a person from being eligible to apply for a voter registration card and having the right to vote restored, unless the person is current in all child support obligations. This bill deletes the present law above and, instead, provides that a person rendered infamous and temporarily deprived of the right to vote is automatically eligible for the restoration of their right to vote upon: (1) The completion of the person's sentence, including any parole or probationary period and the person received a certificate of final discharge from the appropriate supervising authority; or (2) An appellate court of competent jurisdiction entered a final judgment reversing the person's conviction and the person received a certified copy of the judgment. CERTIFICATE OF VOTING RIGHTS RESTORATION This bill authorizes a person eligible to apply for a voter registration card and have the right to vote restored to request, and then to be issued, a certificate of voting rights restoration upon a form prescribed by the coordinator of elections, by (i) the pardoning authority, (ii) the warden or an agent or officer of the incarcerating authority, or (iii) a parole officer or another agent or officer of the supervising authority. Present law requires the issuing authority to supply the person being released with a written statement explaining the certificate of voting rights restoration and also requires such certificate to be sufficient proof that the person named on the certificate is no longer disqualified from voting. After receiving a certificate of voting rights restoration and after an application is filed, the administrator of elections must issue a voter registration card to the applicant in the same manner as provided for any newly issued card. This bill deletes the above present law relevant to the certificate of voting rights restoration. PERSONS NEVER ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE Present law prohibits the following persons from ever being eligible to register and vote in this state: (1) Those convicted after July 1, 1986, of the offenses of voter fraud, treason, murder in the first degree, or aggravated rape; (2) Those convicted after July 1, 1996, but before July 1, 2006, of any of the offenses set out in (1) above or any other degree of murder or rape; and (3) Those convicted on or after July 1, 2006, of (i) any of the offenses set out in (1) or (2) above; (ii) any other violation of the law regarding bribery, misconduct involving public officials and employees, and interference with government operations designated as a felony or any violation containing the same elements and designated as a felony in any other state or federal court; or (iii) any sexual offense set out in the Tennessee Sexual Offender and Violent Sexual Offender Registration, Verification and Tracking Act of 2004 or violent sexual offense set out in that act that is designated as a felony or any violation containing the same elements and designated as a felony in any other state or federal court and where the victim of the offense was a minor. This bill deletes the above provisions and, instead, prohibits the following persons from being eligible to register and vote in this state: (1) Those convicted after July 1, 1986, of the offenses of voter fraud, treason, murder in the first degree, or aggravated rape; and (2) Those who have been convicted of seditious conspiracy under federal law or those who have engaged in insurrection against the United States in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. CERTIFICATE OF VOTING RIGHTS RESTORATION FORM Present law requires the coordinator of elections to prepare a certificate of voting rights restoration form and the written statement explaining the form and the procedure by which a person can apply for a voter registration card and become eligible to vote. The coordinator must be responsible for printing and distributing a sufficient number of the forms to the department of correction, the board of parole and any other authority that may discharge a person to whom the law relevant to voting rights applies. This bill deletes these provisions. ASSISTANCE WITH POST-RELEASE EMPLOYMENT OF INMATES This bill requires the department of correction to provide an inmate upon their release with (i) documentation verifying the inmate is currently eligible to vote or documentation stating the prospective date of eligibility following the completion of probation or parole; (ii) the amount of restitution to the victim or victims of the offense owed by the inmate; (iii) the amount of court costs owed by the inmate; and (iv) the amount of child support owed by the inmate. This bill requires the department of correction to provide a copy of the documentation under the above provision to the state coordinator of elections, who must update the appropriate administrator of elections pursuant to existing law.