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H.B. 119 Enrolled

             1     

STUDY ON SIGNING PETITIONS ONLINE

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Rebecca Chavez-Houck

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

             6      Cosponsors:
             7      Patrice M. Arent
             8      Joel K. Briscoe
             9      David G. Butterfield
             10      Tim M. Cosgrove
             11      Brian Doughty
             12      Susan Duckworth
             13      Rebecca P. Edwards
             14      Janice M. Fisher
             15      Craig A. FrankBrad J. Galvez
Lynn N. Hemingway
Neal B. Hendrickson
Brian S. King
David Litvack
Kay L. McIff
Carol Spackman Moss
Jim Nielson
Lee B. Perry
Dixon M. PitcherMarie H. Poulson
Kraig Powell
Douglas Sagers
Jennifer M. Seelig
V. Lowry Snow
Christine F. Watkins
Mark A. Wheatley
Larry B. Wiley              16     
             17      LONG TITLE
             18      General Description:
             19          This bill requires the lieutenant governor to conduct a study regarding a registered voter
             20      signing a petition regulated by Title 20A, Election Code, on the Internet.
             21      Highlighted Provisions:
             22          This bill:
             23          .    defines terms;
             24          .    requires the lieutenant governor to conduct a study regarding a registered voter
             25      signing on the Internet a petition to:
             26              .    qualify a ballot proposition for the ballot;
             27              .    organize and register a political party; or
             28              .    qualify a candidate for the ballot; and


             29          .    requires the lieutenant governor to submit the study and recommendations, if any, to
             30      the Government Operations Interim Committee.
             31      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             32          None
             33      Other Special Clauses:
             34          None
             35      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             36      AMENDS:
             37          67-1a-2, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 350
             38      ENACTS:
             39          67-1a-14, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             40     
             41      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             42          Section 1. Section 67-1a-2 is amended to read:
             43           67-1a-2. Duties enumerated.
             44          (1) The lieutenant governor shall:
             45          (a) perform duties delegated by the governor, including assignments to serve in any of
             46      the following capacities:
             47          (i) as the head of any one department, if so qualified, with the consent of the Senate,
             48      and, upon appointment at the pleasure of the governor and without additional compensation;
             49          (ii) as the chairperson of any cabinet group organized by the governor or authorized by
             50      law for the purpose of advising the governor or coordinating intergovernmental or
             51      interdepartmental policies or programs;
             52          (iii) as liaison between the governor and the state Legislature to coordinate and
             53      facilitate the governor's programs and budget requests;
             54          (iv) as liaison between the governor and other officials of local, state, federal, and
             55      international governments or any other political entities to coordinate, facilitate, and protect the
             56      interests of the state;


             57          (v) as personal advisor to the governor, including advice on policies, programs,
             58      administrative and personnel matters, and fiscal or budgetary matters; and
             59          (vi) as chairperson or member of any temporary or permanent boards, councils,
             60      commissions, committees, task forces, or other group appointed by the governor;
             61          (b) serve on all boards and commissions in lieu of the governor, whenever so
             62      designated by the governor;
             63          (c) serve as the chief election officer of the state as required by Subsection (2);
             64          (d) keep custody of the Great Seal of Utah;
             65          (e) keep a register of, and attest, the official acts of the governor;
             66          (f) affix the Great Seal, with an attestation, to all official documents and instruments to
             67      which the official signature of the governor is required; and
             68          (g) furnish a certified copy of all or any part of any law, record, or other instrument
             69      filed, deposited, or recorded in the office of the lieutenant governor to any person who requests
             70      it and pays the fee.
             71          (2) (a) As the chief election officer, the lieutenant governor shall:
             72          (i) exercise general supervisory authority over all elections;
             73          (ii) exercise direct authority over the conduct of elections for federal, state, and
             74      multicounty officers and statewide or multicounty ballot propositions and any recounts
             75      involving those races;
             76          (iii) assist county clerks in unifying the election ballot;
             77          (iv) (A) prepare election information for the public as required by statute and as
             78      determined appropriate by the lieutenant governor;
             79          (B) make the information under Subsection (2)(a)(iv)(A) available to the public and to
             80      news media on the Internet and in other forms as required by statute or as determined
             81      appropriate by the lieutenant governor;
             82          (v) receive and answer election questions and maintain an election file on opinions
             83      received from the attorney general;
             84          (vi) maintain a current list of registered political parties as defined in Section


             85      20A-8-101 ;
             86          (vii) maintain election returns and statistics;
             87          (viii) certify to the governor the names of those persons who have received the highest
             88      number of votes for any office;
             89          (ix) ensure that all voting equipment purchased by the state complies with the
             90      requirements of Subsection 20A-5-302 (2) and Sections 20A-5-402.5 and 20A-5-402.7 ; [and]
             91          (x) conduct the study described in Section 67-1a-14 ; and
             92          [(x)] (xi) perform other election duties as provided in Title 20A, Election Code.
             93          (b) As chief election officer, the lieutenant governor may not assume the
             94      responsibilities assigned to the county clerks, city recorders, town clerks, or other local election
             95      officials by Title 20A, Election Code.
             96          (3) (a) The lieutenant governor shall:
             97          (i) (A) determine a new city's classification under Section 10-2-301 upon the city's
             98      incorporation under Title 10, Chapter 2, Part 1, Incorporation, based on the city's population
             99      using the population estimate from the Utah Population Estimates Committee; and
             100          (B) (I) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the new city belongs based on
             101      the city's population; and
             102          (II) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the
             103      city's legislative body;
             104          (ii) (A) determine the classification under Section 10-2-301 of a consolidated
             105      municipality upon the consolidation of multiple municipalities under Title 10, Chapter 2, Part
             106      6, Consolidation of Municipalities, using population information from:
             107          (I) each official census or census estimate of the United States Bureau of the Census;
             108      or
             109          (II) the population estimate from the Utah Population Estimates Committee, if the
             110      population of a municipality is not available from the United States Bureau of the Census; and
             111          (B) (I) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the consolidated municipality
             112      belongs based on the municipality's population; and


             113          (II) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the
             114      consolidated municipality's legislative body; and
             115          (iii) monitor the population of each municipality using population information from:
             116          (A) each official census or census estimate of the United States Bureau of the Census;
             117      or
             118          (B) the population estimate from the Utah Population Estimates Committee, if the
             119      population of a municipality is not available from the United States Bureau of the Census.
             120          (b) If the applicable population figure under Subsection (3)(a)(ii) or (iii) indicates that
             121      a municipality's population has increased beyond the population for its current class, the
             122      lieutenant governor shall:
             123          (i) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the municipality belongs based on
             124      the increased population figure; and
             125          (ii) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the
             126      legislative body of the municipality whose class has changed.
             127          (c) (i) If the applicable population figure under Subsection (3)(a)(ii) or (iii) indicates
             128      that a municipality's population has decreased below the population for its current class, the
             129      lieutenant governor shall send written notification of that fact to the municipality's legislative
             130      body.
             131          (ii) Upon receipt of a petition under Subsection 10-2-302 (2) from a municipality whose
             132      population has decreased below the population for its current class, the lieutenant governor
             133      shall:
             134          (A) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the municipality belongs based
             135      on the decreased population figure; and
             136          (B) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the
             137      legislative body of the municipality whose class has changed.
             138          Section 2. Section 67-1a-14 is enacted to read:
             139          67-1a-14. Study of signing a petition online -- Report.
             140          (1) As used in this section, "petition" means a petition to:


             141          (a) qualify a ballot proposition for the ballot under Title 20A, Chapter 7, Issues
             142      Submitted to the Voters;
             143          (b) organize and register a political party under Title 20A, Chapter 8, Political Party
             144      Formation and Procedures; or
             145          (c) qualify a candidate for the ballot under Title 20A, Chapter 9, Candidate
             146      Qualifications and Nominating Procedures.
             147          (2) The lieutenant governor, in consultation with a county clerk and municipal clerk,
             148      shall study a way that a registered voter may sign a petition on the Internet and receive
             149      information about the petition on the Internet.
             150          (3) The study shall evaluate:
             151          (a) how to sign a petition on the Internet using a holographic signature that is in an
             152      electronic format maintained by a government agency;
             153          (b) the security, development, ownership, management, format, and content of a secure
             154      Internet portal or website on which a registered voter may sign a petition;
             155          (c) the security measures necessary to:
             156          (i) verify the identity of a registered voter who signs a petition on the Internet; and
             157          (ii) insure the integrity of a signature;
             158          (d) changes to the process of collecting, verifying, and certifying a signature, if the
             159      signature is collected on the Internet;
             160          (e) whether verification is necessary for signatures collected on the Internet;
             161          (f) which election official should be responsible for the certification of signatures
             162      collected on the Internet;
             163          (g) whether signatures on a petition should be public information;
             164          (h) the removal process of a signature collected on the Internet;
             165          (i) what percentage of signatures should be collected on the Internet or in person,
             166      statewide or by Senate district;
             167          (j) what information regarding the petition should be available on the secure Internet
             168      portal or website, including who may submit the information and by what deadline information


             169      should be submitted;
             170          (k) the time the lieutenant governor, county clerk, or municipal clerk may spend
             171      certifying a petition if a registered voter is allowed to sign a petition on the Internet;
             172          (l) the processes, if any, that exists in other states to allow a registered voter to sign a
             173      petition on the Internet; and
             174          (m) any other issue related to allowing a registered voter to sign a petition on the
             175      Internet.
             176          (4) The lieutenant governor shall submit a copy of the study and recommendations, if
             177      any, that result from the study to the Government Operations Interim Committee on or before
             178      September 18, 2013.


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