House
Study
Bill
565
-
Introduced
SENATE/HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
SECRETARY
OF
STATE
BILL)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
concerning
the
establishment
of
pilot
programs
related
1
to
elections
by
the
state
commissioner
of
elections.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
Section
47.1,
Code
2018,
is
amended
by
adding
the
1
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
7.
a.
It
is
the
intent
of
the
general
3
assembly
that
the
state
commissioner
evaluate
the
benefits
4
of
establishing
innovative
programs
and
procedures
in
the
5
administration
of
elections
in
the
state.
To
achieve
this
6
goal,
the
state
commissioner
may
establish
pilot
programs
7
related
to
the
administration
of
elections.
Pilot
programs
8
may
be
proposed
by
either
the
state
commissioner
or,
through
9
application
to
the
state
commissioner,
by
a
county
commissioner
10
of
elections.
11
b.
A
pilot
program
shall
not
last
longer
than
two
12
consecutive
election
cycles
following
the
approval
of
the
13
program
by
the
state
commissioner.
14
c.
A
pilot
program
shall
include
a
sufficient
number
of
15
counties,
as
determined
by
the
state
commissioner,
to
conclude
16
whether
the
program
should
apply
statewide.
17
d.
Each
county
participating
in
an
ongoing
pilot
program
18
shall
submit
an
annual
report
summarizing
the
results
of
the
19
program
to
the
state
commissioner.
The
state
commissioner
20
shall
file
the
reports
with
the
general
assembly.
21
e.
Pilot
programs
shall
not
seek
to
do
any
of
the
following:
22
(1)
Alter
the
voter
registration
requirements
of
chapter
23
48A.
24
(2)
Alter
the
voter
identification
requirements
of
section
25
49.78.
26
(3)
Alter
the
voting
systems
requirements
of
chapter
52.
27
(4)
Diminish
the
accessibility
of
polling
places.
28
f.
The
state
commissioner
shall
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
29
chapter
17A
to
carry
out
this
subsection.
30
EXPLANATION
31
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
32
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
33
This
bill
authorizes
the
state
commissioner
of
elections
34
to
establish
pilot
programs
related
to
the
administration
35
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of
elections.
The
bill
allows
the
state
commissioner
and
1
county
commissioners
of
elections
to
propose
pilot
programs.
2
The
bill
requires
any
pilot
program
to
last
no
longer
than
3
two
consecutive
election
cycles
and
to
contain
sufficient
4
counties
to
determine
statewide
feasibility.
Each
county
5
participating
in
a
pilot
program
must
make
an
annual
report
to
6
the
state
commissioner
summarizing
the
results
of
the
program.
7
The
state
commissioner
shall
then
file
the
reports
with
the
8
general
assembly.
Pilot
programs
must
not
seek
to
alter
9
voter
registration,
voter
identification,
or
voting
systems
10
requirements,
or
diminish
the
accessibility
of
polling
places.
11
The
bill
requires
the
state
commissioner
to
adopt
rules
to
12
carry
out
the
provisions
of
the
bill.
13
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