This document includes House Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Mon, Feb 9, 2015 at 12:27 PM by jeyring.
1     
TASK FORCE ON VOTER PARTICIPATION

2     
2015 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Patrice M. Arent

5     
Senate Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill creates the Voter Participation Task Force.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     creates the Voter Participation Task Force and provides for the task force's
13     membership;
14          ▸     provides for salary and expenses of task force members; and
15          ▸     describes task force duties.
16     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
17          This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2015:
18          ▸     to the Legislature - Senate, as a one-time appropriation:
19               •     from the General Fund, one-time, $30,000, with intent language that $17,000 be
20     used to procure research services;
21          ▸     to the Legislature - House of Representatives, as a one-time appropriation:
22               •     from the General Fund, one-time, $34,000, with intent language that $18,000 be
23     used to procure research services; and
24          ▸     to the Legislature - Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, as a one-
25     time appropriation:
26               •     from the General Fund, one-time, $40,000.
27     Other Special Clauses:

28          This bill provides a special effective date.
29          This bill provides a repeal date.
30     Uncodified Material Affected:
31     ENACTS UNCODIFIED MATERIAL
32     

33     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
34          Section 1. Voter Participation Task Force -- Creation and membership -- Interim
35     rules followed -- Compensation -- Staff.
36          (1) There is created the Voter Participation Task Force consisting of the following nine
37     members:
38          (a) four members of the Senate, appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
39     three of whom may be from the same political party; and
40          (b) five members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker of the
41     House of Representatives, no more than three of whom may be from the same political party.
42          (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall appoint one of the task force members from
43     the Senate as cochair of the task force.
44          (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint one of the task force
45     members from the House of Representatives as cochair of the task force.
46          (3) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force shall be paid in accordance
47     with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rules, Title 5, Chapter 3, Legislator Compensation.
48          (4) The task force shall comply with the legislative interim rules in conducting the task
49     force's business.
50          (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support
51     to the task force.
52          Section 2. Scope and responsibilities.
53          (1) The task force shall:
54          (a) study issues related to voter participation in the state, including:
55          (i) past and present voter participation trends in the state and in the United States;
56          (ii) administrative barriers that may inhibit voter participation; and
57          (iii) other issues specific to the state that may affect voter participation; and
58          (b) at the November Ĥ→ [
2016] 2015 ←Ĥ meeting of the Government Operations
58a     Interim Committee,

59     present to the committee:
60          (i) details of the work performed by the task force;
61          (ii) a description of issues the task force identified in the state that affect voter
62     participation; and
63          (iii) recommendations on how the state can improve voter participation in the state.
64          (2) The task force may contract with one or more entities that have expertise in public
65     opinion research to conduct research on a subject matter under consideration by the task force.
66          Section 3. Appropriation.
67          Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, for
68     the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015, the following sums of money
69     are appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts
70     previously appropriated, out of the funds or accounts indicated. These sums of money are in
71     addition to any amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2015.
72          To Legislature - Senate
73          From General Fund, One-time
$30,000

74          Schedule of Programs:
75               Administration                              $30,000
76          To Legislature - House of Representatives
77          From General Fund, One-time
$34,000

78          Schedule of Programs:
79               Administration                              $34,000
80          To Legislature - Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel
81          From General Fund, One-time
$40,000

82          Schedule of Programs:
83               Administration                              $40,000
84          The Legislature intends that $18,000 of the amount appropriated to the House of
85     Representatives, and $17,000 of the amount appropriated to the Senate, be used by the Voter
86     Participation Task Force to procure research services to fulfill the task force's responsibilities
87     described in Section 2 of this bill.
88          Section 4. Effective date.
89          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect

90     upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
91     Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
92     the date of veto override.
93          Section 5. Repeal date.
94          This bill is repealed on July 1, 2016.






Legislative Review Note
     as of 1-23-15 9:38 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel