HB6627 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB099 23986 HLH 51564 b

99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB6627

Introduced , by Rep. Jim Durkin

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 140/7.5
10 ILCS 5/1-16 new
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.1 new
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.2 new
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.6
10 ILCS 5/1A-16.7 new

Amends the Election Code. Provides that the Office of the Secretary of State and the State Board of Elections shall jointly establish an automatic voter registration program. Provides that designated automatic voter registration agencies may agree to participate in an automatic voter registration program established by the State Board of Elections. Provides that the term "designated automatic voter registration agency" means an agency of the State or federal government that has been determined by the State Board of Elections to have access to reliable personal information and has entered into an interagency contract with the State Board of Elections to participate in the automatic voter registration program. Provides for dual purpose applications, and provides that an application for a driver's license or a State identification card shall be a dual-purpose application. Provides that if an election authority is required by law to send an election-related notice to an individual, that election authority may send that notice solely by electronic mail if the individual provides a current e-mail address to the election authority and authorizes the election authority to send notices by electronic mail. Amends the Freedom of Information Act. Provides that certain information specified in the amendatory Act is exempt from inspection and copying. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning elections.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Freedom of Information Act is amended by changing Section 7.5 as follows:

(5 ILCS 140/7.5)

Sec. 7.5. Statutory exemptions. To the extent provided for by the statutes referenced below, the following shall be exempt from inspection and copying:

(a) All information determined to be confidential under Section 4002 of the Technology Advancement and Development Act.

(b) Library circulation and order records identifying library users with specific materials under the Library Records Confidentiality Act.

(c) Applications, related documents, and medical records received by the Experimental Organ Transplantation Procedures Board and any and all documents or other records prepared by the Experimental Organ Transplantation Procedures Board or its staff relating to applications it has received.

(d) Information and records held by the Department of Public Health and its authorized representatives relating to known or suspected cases of sexually transmissible disease or any information the disclosure of which is restricted under the Illinois Sexually Transmissible Disease Control Act.

(e) Information the disclosure of which is exempted under Section 30 of the Radon Industry Licensing Act.

(f) Firm performance evaluations under Section 55 of the Architectural, Engineering, and Land Surveying Qualifications Based Selection Act.

(g) Information the disclosure of which is restricted and exempted under Section 50 of the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Act.

(h) Information the disclosure of which is exempted under the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, and records of any lawfully created State or local inspector general's office that would be exempt if created or obtained by an Executive Inspector General's office under that Act.

(i) Information contained in a local emergency energy plan submitted to a municipality in accordance with a local emergency energy plan ordinance that is adopted under Section 11-21.5-5 of the Illinois Municipal Code.

(j) Information and data concerning the distribution of surcharge moneys collected and remitted by wireless carriers under the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act.

(k) Law enforcement officer identification information or driver identification information compiled by a law enforcement agency or the Department of Transportation under Section 11-212 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

(l) Records and information provided to a residential health care facility resident sexual assault and death review team or the Executive Council under the Abuse Prevention Review Team Act.

(m) Information provided to the predatory lending database created pursuant to Article 3 of the Residential Real Property Disclosure Act, except to the extent authorized under that Article.

(n) Defense budgets and petitions for certification of compensation and expenses for court appointed trial counsel as provided under Sections 10 and 15 of the Capital Crimes Litigation Act. This subsection (n) shall apply until the conclusion of the trial of the case, even if the prosecution chooses not to pursue the death penalty prior to trial or sentencing.

(o) Information that is prohibited from being disclosed under Section 4 of the Illinois Health and Hazardous Substances Registry Act.

(p) Security portions of system safety program plans, investigation reports, surveys, schedules, lists, data, or information compiled, collected, or prepared by or for the Regional Transportation Authority under Section 2.11 of the Regional Transportation Authority Act or the St. Clair County Transit District under the Bi-State Transit Safety Act.

(q) Information prohibited from being disclosed by the Personnel Records Review Act.

(r) Information prohibited from being disclosed by the Illinois School Student Records Act.

(s) Information the disclosure of which is restricted under Section 5-108 of the Public Utilities Act.

(t) All identified or deidentified health information in the form of health data or medical records contained in, stored in, submitted to, transferred by, or released from the Illinois Health Information Exchange, and identified or deidentified health information in the form of health data and medical records of the Illinois Health Information Exchange in the possession of the Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority due to its administration of the Illinois Health Information Exchange. The terms "identified" and "deidentified" shall be given the same meaning as in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191, or any subsequent amendments thereto, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

(u) Records and information provided to an independent team of experts under Brian's Law.

(v) Names and information of people who have applied for or received Firearm Owner's Identification Cards under the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act or applied for or received a concealed carry license under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, unless otherwise authorized by the Firearm Concealed Carry Act; and databases under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, records of the Concealed Carry Licensing Review Board under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act, and law enforcement agency objections under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act.

(w) Personally identifiable information which is exempted from disclosure under subsection (g) of Section 19.1 of the Toll Highway Act.

(x) Information which is exempted from disclosure under Section 5-1014.3 of the Counties Code or Section 8-11-21 of the Illinois Municipal Code.

(y) Confidential information under the Adult Protective Services Act and its predecessor enabling statute, the Elder Abuse and Neglect Act, including information about the identity and administrative finding against any caregiver of a verified and substantiated decision of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of an eligible adult maintained in the Registry established under Section 7.5 of the Adult Protective Services Act.

(z) Records and information provided to a fatality review team or the Illinois Fatality Review Team Advisory Council under Section 15 of the Adult Protective Services Act.

(aa) Information which is exempted from disclosure under Section 2.37 of the Wildlife Code.

(bb) Information which is or was prohibited from disclosure by the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(cc) Recordings made under the Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act, except to the extent authorized under that Act.

(dd) Information that is prohibited from being disclosed under Section 45 of the Condominium and Common Interest Community Ombudsperson Act.

(ee) (dd) Information that is exempted from disclosure under Section 30.1 of the Pharmacy Practice Act.

(ff) Records that are exempt from disclosure under Section 1A-16.7 of the Election Code.

(Source: P.A. 98-49, eff. 7-1-13; 98-63, eff. 7-9-13; 98-756, eff. 7-16-14; 98-1039, eff. 8-25-14; 98-1045, eff. 8-25-14; 99-78, eff. 7-20-15; 99-298, eff. 8-6-15; 99-352, eff. 1-1-16; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; 99-776, eff. 8-12-16; 99-863, eff. 8-19-16; revised 9-1-16.)

Section 10. The Election Code is amended by changing Section 1A-16.6 and by adding Sections 1-16, 1A-16.1, 1A-16.2, and 1A-16.7 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/1-16 new)

Sec. 1-16. Election authorities; notices by electronic mail. If an election authority is required by law to send an election-related notice to an individual, that election authority may send that notice solely by electronic mail if the individual provides a current e-mail address to the election authority and authorizes the election authority to send notices by electronic mail. For the purposes of this Section, the term "notice" does not include a ballot.

(10 ILCS 5/1A-16.1 new)

Sec. 1A-16.1. Automatic voter registration; Secretary of State.

(a) The Office of the Secretary of State and the State Board of Elections, pursuant to an interagency contract and jointly-adopted rules, shall establish an automatic voter registration program that satisfies the requirements of this Section and other applicable law.

(b) An application for a driver's license, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, or a State identification card issued by the Office of the Secretary of State shall:

(1) also serve as an application to register to vote in Illinois;

(2) allow an applicant to change his or her registered residence address;

(3) clearly and conspicuously inform the applicant in writing (i) of the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois, (ii) of the penalties provided by law for submission of a false voter registration application, (iii) that the application is also an application to register to vote in Illinois, (iv) that, unless he or she declines to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address, the applicant's personal information will be transmitted to the State Board of Elections for the purpose of registering the person to vote at the residence address to be indicated on his or her driver's license or identification card, and (v) that declining to register to vote is confidential and will not affect any services the person may be seeking from the Office of the Secretary of State;

(4) provide the applicant with an opportunity to affirmatively decline to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address without requiring the applicant to state the reason; and

(5) unless the applicant declines to register to vote or change his or her registered residence address, require the applicant to attest, by signature under penalty of perjury, to meeting the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address as indicated on his or her driver's license or identification card application.

(c) The Office of the Secretary of State shall inform each applicant for a driver's license, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, or a State identification card issued by the Office of the Secretary of State whether the applicant is currently registered to vote in Illinois and, if registered, at what address.

(d) The Office of the Secretary of State shall not require an applicant for a driver's license or State identification card to provide duplicate identification or information in order to complete an application to register to vote or change his or her registered residence address. Before transmitting any personal information about an applicant to the State Board of Elections, the Office of the Secretary of State shall review its records regarding the applicant, including identification documents that may have been provided in order to complete the application for a driver's license or State identification card, to confirm that the Office of the Secretary of State is not in possession of any information that indicates that the applicant does not satisfy the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address. A completed, signed application for a driver's license or permit, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, shall constitute an application to register to vote in Illinois at the residence address indicated in the application unless (i) the person affirmatively declined in the application to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address or (ii) the records of the Office of the Secretary of State regarding the applicant indicate that he or she does not satisfy the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address.

(e) For each completed and signed application that constitutes an application to register to vote in Illinois or provides for a change in the applicant's registered residence address, the Office of the Secretary of State shall electronically transmit to the State Board of Elections personal information needed to complete the person's registration to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address. The application to register to vote shall be processed in accordance with Section 1A-16.7.

(10 ILCS 5/1A-16.2 new)

Sec. 1A-16.2. Automatic voter registration; designated automatic voter registration agencies.

(a) Each designated automatic voter registration agency may, pursuant to an interagency contract and jointly-adopted rules with the State Board of Elections, agree to participate in an automatic voter registration program established by the State Board of Elections that satisfies the requirements of this Section and other applicable law.

(b) As provided in subsection (a), each designated automatic voter registration agency may provide that an application for a license, permit, program, or service offered by that agency shall serve as dual-purpose application. The dual-purpose application shall:

(1) also serve as an application to register to vote in Illinois;

(2) allow an applicant to change his or her registered residence address;

(3) clearly and conspicuously inform the applicant in writing (i) of the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois, (ii) of the penalties provided by law for submission of a false voter registration application, (iii) that the dual-purpose application is also an application to register to vote in Illinois, (iv) that, unless he or she declines to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address, the applicant's personal information will be transmitted to the State Board of Elections for the purpose of registering the person to vote at the residence address to be indicated on the dual-purpose application, and (v) that declining to register to vote is confidential and will not affect any services the person may be seeking from the agency;

(4) provide the applicant with an opportunity to affirmatively decline to register to vote or change his or her registered residence address without requiring the applicant to state the reason; and

(5) unless the applicant declines to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address, require the applicant to attest, by signature under penalty of perjury, to meeting the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address as indicated on his or her dual-purpose application.

(c) The designated automatic voter registration agency shall inform each applicant whether the applicant is currently registered to vote in Illinois and, if registered, at what address.

(d) The designated automatic voter registration agency shall not require an applicant for a dual-purpose application to provide duplicate identification or information in order to complete an application to register to vote or change his or her registered residence address. Before transmitting any personal information about an applicant to the State Board of Elections, the agency shall review its records regarding the applicant, including identification documents that may have been provided in order to complete the dual-purpose application, to confirm that the agency is not in possession of any information that indicates that the applicant does not satisfy the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address. A completed and signed dual-purpose application shall constitute an application to register to vote in Illinois at the residence address indicated in the application unless (i) the person affirmatively declined in the application to register to vote or to change his or her registered residence address or (ii) the agency's records regarding the applicant indicate that he or she does not satisfy the qualifications to register to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address.

(e) For each completed and signed dual-purpose application that constitutes an application to register to vote in Illinois or provides for a change in the applicant's registered residence address, the designated automatic voter registration agency shall electronically transmit to the State Board of Elections personal information needed to complete the person's registration to vote in Illinois at his or her residence address. The application to register to vote shall be processed in accordance with Section 1A-16.7.

(f) As used in this Section:

"Designated automatic voter registration agency" or "agency" means an agency of the State or federal government that has been determined by the State Board of Elections to have access to reliable personal information and has entered into an interagency contract with the State Board of Elections to participate in the automatic voter registration program under this Section.

"Dual-purpose application" means an application for a license, permit, program, or service offered by a designated automatic voter registration agency that also serves as an application to register to vote in Illinois.

(10 ILCS 5/1A-16.6)

Sec. 1A-16.6. Government agency voter registration.

(a) By April 1, 2016, the State Board of Elections shall establish and maintain a portal for government agency registration that permits an eligible person to electronically apply to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration whenever he or she conducts business, either online or in person, with a designated government agency. The portal shall interface with the online voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code and shall be capable of receiving and processing voter registration application information, including electronic signatures, from a designated government agency. The State Board of Elections shall modify the online voter registration system as necessary to implement this Section.

Voter registration data received from a designated government agency through the online registration system shall be processed as provided for in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code.

Whenever the registration interface is accessible to the general public, including, but not limited to, online transactions, the interface shall allow the applicant to complete the process as provided for in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. The online interface shall be capable of providing the applicant with the applicant's voter registration status with the State Board of Elections and, if registered, the applicant's current registration address. The applicant shall not be required to re-enter any registration data, such as name, address, and birth date, if the designated government agency already has that information on file. The applicant shall be informed that by choosing to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration, the applicant consents to the transfer of the applicant's personal information to the State Board of Elections.

Whenever a government employee is accessing the registration system while servicing the applicant, the government employee shall notify the applicant of the applicant's registration status with the State Board of Elections and, if registered, the applicant's current registration address. If the applicant elects to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration, the government employee shall collect the needed information and assist the applicant with his or her registration. The applicant shall be informed that by choosing to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration, the applicant consents to the transfer of the applicant's personal information to the State Board of Elections.

In accordance with technical specifications provided by the State Board of Elections, each designated government agency shall maintain a data transfer mechanism capable of transmitting voter registration application information, including electronic signatures where available, to the online voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. Each designated government agency shall establish and operate a voter registration system capable of transmitting voter registration application information to the portal as described in this Section by July 1, 2016.

(b) Whenever an applicant's data is transferred from a designated government agency, the agency must transmit a signature image if available. If no signature image was provided by the agency or if no signature image is available in the Secretary of State's database or the statewide voter registration database, the applicant must be notified that their registration will remain in a pending status and the applicant will be required to provide identification and a signature to the election authority on Election Day in the polling place or during early voting.

(c) The State Board of Elections shall track registration data received through the online registration system that originated from a designated government agency for the purposes of maintaining statistics required by the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993, as amended.

(d) The State Board of Elections shall submit a report to the General Assembly and the Governor by December 1, 2015 detailing the progress made to implement the government agency voter registration portal described in this Section.

(e) The Board shall adopt rules, in consultation with the impacted agencies.

(f) As used in this Section, a "designated government agency" means the Secretary of State's Driver Services and Vehicle Services Departments, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the Department of Employment Security, and the Department on Aging; however, if the designated government agency becomes a designated automatic voter registration agency under Section 1A-16.1 or Section 1A-16.2, that agency shall cease to be a designated government agency under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 98-1171, eff. 6-1-15.)

(10 ILCS 5/1A-16.7 new)

Sec. 1A-16.7. Automatic voter registration.

(a) The State Board of Elections shall establish and maintain a portal for automatic government agency voter registration that permits an eligible person to electronically apply to register to vote or to update his or her existing voter registration as provided in Section 1A-16.1 or Section 1A-16.2. The portal shall interface with the online voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code and shall be capable of receiving and processing voter registration application information, including electronic signatures, from the Office of the Secretary of State and each designated automatic voter registration agency, as defined in Section 1A-16.2. The State Board of Elections shall modify the online voter registration system as necessary to implement this Section.

(b) Voter registration data received from the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency through the online registration application system shall be processed as provided in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code.

(c) The State Board of Elections shall establish technical specifications applicable to each automatic government registration program. The Office of the Secretary of State and each designated automatic voter registration agency shall maintain a data transfer mechanism capable of transmitting voter registration application information, including electronic signatures where available, to the online voter registration system established in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code.

(d) The State Board of Elections shall, by rule, establish criteria and procedures for determining whether an agency of the State or federal government seeking to become a designated automatic voter registration agency has access to reliable personal information and otherwise meets the requirements to enter into an interagency contract and to operate as a designated automatic voter registration agency. "Reliable personal information" means information about individuals obtained from government sources that may be used to verify whether an individual is eligible to register to vote. The State Board of Elections shall approve each interagency contract upon affirmative vote of a majority of its members.

(e) Whenever an applicant's data is transferred from the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency, the agency must transmit a signature image if available. If no signature image was provided by the agency, or if no signature image is available in the Office of the Secretary of State's database or the statewide voter registration database, the applicant must be notified that his or her registration will remain in a pending status, and the applicant will be required to provide identification that complies with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 and a signature to the election authority on election day in the polling place or during early voting.

(f) Upon receipt of personal information collected and transferred by the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency, the State Board of Elections shall check the information against the statewide voter registration database. The State Board of Elections shall create and electronically transmit to the appropriate election authority a voter registration application for any individual who is not registered to vote in Illinois and is not disqualified as provided in this Section or whose information reliably indicates a more recent update to the name or address of a person already included in the statewide voter database. The election authority shall process the application accordingly.

(g) The appropriate election authority shall ensure that any applicant who is registered to vote or whose existing voter registration is updated under this Section is promptly sent written notice of the change. The notice may be sent by electronic mail if the applicant has provided an electronic mail address on the voter registration form. The notice required by this subsection may be sent or combined with other notices required or permitted by law, including, but not limited to, any notices sent pursuant to Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. Any notice required by this subsection shall contain, at a minimum: (i) the applicant's name, date of birth, and residential address as reflected on the voter registration list; (ii) a statement notifying the applicant to contact the appropriate election authority if his or her voter registration has been updated in error; (iii) a statement notifying the applicant that he or she may opt out of voter registration or request a change to his or her registration information at any time by contacting an election official; and (iv) contact information for the appropriate election authority, including a phone number, address, electronic mail address, and website address.

(h) The appropriate election authority shall ensure that any applicant whose voter registration application is not accepted or deemed incomplete is promptly sent written notice of the application's status. The notice may be sent by electronic mail if the applicant has provided an electronic mail address on the voter registration form. The notice required by this subsection may be sent or combined with other notices required or permitted by law, including, but not limited to, any notices sent pursuant to Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. Any notice required by this subsection shall contain, at a minimum, the reason the application was not accepted or deemed incomplete and contact information for the appropriate election authority, including a phone number, address, electronic mail address, and website address.

(i) If the State Board of Elections or a local election authority determines that personal information collected and transferred by the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency of an individual who attested to his or her eligibility to register to vote includes a green card or other legal proof that the person is not a United States citizen or is not otherwise eligible to register to vote, then the State Board of Elections shall not create a voter registration application and shall notify the person of the reason his or her voter registration application is incomplete.

(j) If the Office of the Secretary of State or a designated automatic voter registration agency transfers information, or if the State Board of Elections creates and transmits a voter registration application, for a person who does not qualify as an eligible voter, then it shall not constitute a completed voter registration form, and the person shall not be considered to have registered to vote.

(k) If the registration is processed by any election authority, then it shall be presumed to have been effected and officially authorized by the State, and that person shall not be found on that basis to have made a false claim to citizenship or to have committed an act of moral turpitude, nor shall that person be subject to penalty under any relevant laws, including, but not limited to, Sections 29-10 and 29-19 of this Code. This subsection does not apply to a person who knows that he or she is not entitled to register to vote and who willfully votes, registers to vote, or attests under penalty of perjury that he or she is eligible to register to vote or willfully attempts to vote or to register to vote.

(l) The State Board of Elections, the Office of the Secretary of State, and each designated automatic voter registration agency shall implement policies and procedures to protect the privacy and security of voter information as it is acquired, stored, and transmitted among agencies, including policies for the retention and preservation of voter information. Information designated as confidential under this Section may be recorded and shared among the State Board of Elections, election authorities, the Office of the Secretary of State, and designated automatic voter registration agencies, but shall be used only for voter registration purposes, shall not be disclosed to the public except in the aggregate as required by subsection (n) of this Section, and shall not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The following information shall be designated as confidential:

(1) any portion of an applicant's Social Security number;

(2) any portion of an applicant's driver's license number or State identification number;

(3) an applicant's decision to decline voter registration;

(4) the identity of the person providing information relating to a specific applicant; and

(5) the personal residence and contact information of any applicant for whom local, State, or federal law requires confidentiality, including, but not limited to, a victim of domestic violence pursuant to the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence Act or a victim of stalking pursuant to the Stalking No Contact Order Act.

This subsection (l) shall not apply to information the State Board of Elections is required to share with the Electronic Registration Information Center.

(m) The voter registration procedures implemented under this Section shall comport with the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993, as amended, and shall specifically require that the State Board of Elections track registration data received through the online registration system that originated from a designated automatic voter registration agency for the purposes of maintaining statistics.

(n) The State Board of Elections, each election authority that maintains a website, the Office of the Secretary of State, and each designated automatic voter registration agency that maintains a website shall provide information on their websites informing the public about the new registration procedures described in this Section. The Office of the Secretary of State and each designated automatic voter registration agency shall display signage or provide literature for the public containing information about the new registration procedures described in this Section.

(o) No later than July 1, 2017, the State Board of Elections shall hold at least one public hearing on implementing this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly at which the public may provide input.

(p) The State Board of Elections shall submit an annual public report to the General Assembly and the Governor detailing the progress made to implement this Section. The report shall include all of the following: the number of records transferred under this Section by agency, the number of voters newly added to the statewide voter registration list because of records transferred under this Section by agency, the number of updated registrations under this Section by agency, the number of persons who opted out of voter registration, and the number of voters who submitted voter registration forms using the online procedure described in Section 1A-16.5 of this Code. Any report produced under this subsection shall exclude any information that identifies any individual personally.

(q) The State Board of Elections, in consultation with election authorities, the Office of the Secretary of State, designated automatic voter registration agencies, and community organizations, shall adopt rules as necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.