House File 445 HOUSE FILE BY FORD Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the process for restoring for certain persons 2 the right to register to vote and to vote and providing an 3 applicability date. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2799HH 80 6 sc/pj/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 48A.6, subsection 1, Code 2003, is 1 2 amended to read as follows: 1 3 1. A person who has been convicted of a felony as defined 1 4 in section 701.7, or convicted of an offense classified as a 1 5 felony under federal law.IfWhen the person's rights are 1 6 later restored by the governor, orby the president of the 1 7 United States,pursuant to section 914.8, the person may 1 8 register to vote. 1 9 Sec. 2. Section 914.2, Code 2003, is amended to read as 1 10 follows: 1 11 914.2 RIGHT OF APPLICATION. 1 12 Except as otherwise provided in section 902.2 or 914.8, a 1 13 person convicted of a criminal offense has the right to make 1 14 application to the board of parole for recommendation or to 1 15 the governor for a reprieve, pardon, commutation of sentence, 1 16 remission of fines or forfeitures, or restoration of rights of 1 17 citizenship at any time following the conviction. 1 18 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 914.8 RESTORATION OF RIGHT TO 1 19 REGISTER AND TO VOTE. 1 20 1. When a person, who has once been convicted of a felony 1 21 criminal offense, is discharged from probation under section 1 22 907.9, discharged from parole or work release under section 1 23 906.15, or released from confinement under section 902.6 1 24 because the person has completed the person's term of 1 25 confinement, the person's right to register to vote and to 1 26 vote is restored. 1 27 2. Upon discharge from confinement or supervision, the 1 28 department of corrections or judicial district department of 1 29 correctional services, whichever is applicable, shall provide 1 30 written notice to the inmate, parolee, or probationer of the 1 31 person's discharge which shall include a voter registration 1 32 form and a statement containing the following information: 1 33 a. That the person's right to register to vote and to vote 1 34 has been restored. 1 35 b. That in the month following the month of discharge, the 2 1 department of corrections will notify the county auditor of 2 2 the person's discharge from confinement or supervision. 2 3 c. That the person may register to vote by mail using the 2 4 form enclosed with the statement or that the person may 2 5 register to vote in person at the county auditor's office in 2 6 the county where the person will be residing. 2 7 3. The department of corrections shall monthly provide a 2 8 list of all persons discharged from confinement or supervision 2 9 to the state registrar of voters who shall provide the 2 10 information to the county registrars of voters as deemed 2 11 necessary. 2 12 4. For a person who has more than once been convicted of a 2 13 felony and upon that person's discharge from confinement or 2 14 supervision, the department of corrections or judicial 2 15 district department of correctional services, whichever is 2 16 applicable, shall provide written notice to the inmate, 2 17 parolee, or probationer of the person's discharge which shall 2 18 include a statement informing the person that the person must 2 19 apply for a restoration of rights of citizenship in order to 2 20 register to vote and to vote and information on the method by 2 21 which citizenship rights are restored. 2 22 Sec. 4. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to persons 2 23 discharged from probation, parole, work release, or otherwise 2 24 released from confinement on or after July 1, 2003. 2 25 EXPLANATION 2 26 This bill makes restoration of the right to register to 2 27 vote and to vote automatic upon a person's release from 2 28 probation, parole, or work release, or upon completion of the 2 29 person's term of confinement if the person has only once been 2 30 convicted of a felony offense. The bill requires the 2 31 department of corrections or the judicial district department 2 32 of correctional services to provide written notice of 2 33 restoration of voting rights and a voter registration form to 2 34 such persons upon discharge from confinement or supervision. 2 35 The bill requires the department of corrections to, once 3 1 each month, send a list of those persons discharged from 3 2 confinement or supervision to the state registrar of voters. 3 3 The bill also requires the department of corrections or the 3 4 judicial district department of correctional services to 3 5 notify persons who have more than once been convicted of a 3 6 felony and who have been discharged from confinement or 3 7 supervision of the method by which they can have their rights 3 8 of citizenship restored. 3 9 The bill applies to persons discharged on or after July 1, 3 10 2003. 3 11 LSB 2799HH 80 3 12 sc/pj/5