Regular Session 2021-2022 House Bill 0143 P.N. 0109

PRINTER'S NO. 109

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

143

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY DIAMOND, BERNSTINE, BOROWICZ, BROOKS, SCHLEGEL

CULVER, GROVE, HAMM, IRVIN, JAMES, JOZWIAK, KAUFFMAN, PYLE,

ROTHMAN, ROWE, RYAN, SAYLOR, SMITH AND STAMBAUGH,

JANUARY 13, 2021

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 13, 2021

AN ACT

Amending Title 25 (Elections) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes, in registration system, further providing for SURE

system; in voter registration, further providing for approval

of registration applications; in records, further providing

for public information lists; and, in changes in records,

further providing for removal notices, for transfer of

registration and for death of registrant.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 1222 of Title 25 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:

§ 1222. SURE system.

* * *

(c.1) Coordination with local registrars.--

(1) The department shall establish a process to cross-

reference the department's database of registered electors

with death record information from local registrars, which

shall be conducted at least once each calendar month. A

registered elector whose first and last name, date of birth

and last four digits of his Social Security number are found

on a death record shall be subject to immediate removal from

the SURE system.

(2) The local commission shall notify the elector by

mail of its action.

(3) No registered elector may be removed within 30 days

of an election.

(4) As used in this subsection, the term "local

registrar" means a local registrar under the supervision of

the Department of Health in accordance with Article III of

the act of June 29, 1953 (P.L.304, No.66), known as the Vital

Statistics Law of 1953.

* * *

Section 2. Section 1328(d) of Title 25 is amended by adding

a paragraph to read:

§ 1328. Approval of registration applications.

* * *

(d) Transfer of registration records.--

* * *

(3) Upon receipt of a notice of address change in

accordance with section 1323(a)(3) (relating to application

with driver's license application), the commission of the

individual's former county of residence shall investigate.

Upon verifying that the registered elector has moved to

another state of residence, the commission shall cancel the

registered elector's registration. The commission shall

promptly update information contained in their registration

records.

* * *

Section 3. Section 1404 of Title 25 is amended by adding a

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subsection to read:

§ 1404. Public information lists.

* * *

(d) Updated l ists for absentee or mail-in ballot

applications.--An organization or individual seeking to

circulate absentee ballot or mail-in ballot applications for the

selection, nomination, election or appointment of an individual

to a Federal, State or local public office or office in a

political organization must request and use updated voter

registration data from the Department of State for circulating

absentee ballot or mail-in ballot applications.

Section 4. Section 1501(b) introductory paragraph of Title

25 is amended and the subsection is amended by adding a

paragraph to read:

§ 1501. Removal notices.

* * *

(b) Use.--A registered elector who removes residence from

one place to another [within the same county] must notify the

commission by filing a removal notice under subsection (a) or a

signed request for renewal that contains the information

required in subsection (a) with the commission not later than

the registration deadline before an election. If mailed, the

notice or request must be postmarked not later than the deadline

for registration or, in the case of an illegible or missing

postmark, received within five days of the close of

registration. The following apply:

* * *

(4) A registered elector who removes residence from this

Commonwealth to another state and who is not registered to

vote in the new state of residence shall be permitted to vote

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in the election district in this Commonwealth if, at the time

of signing the elector's certificate, the elector files with

the judge of election a signed affirmation declaring the

elector's new residence. A registered elector may vote in the

election district of the elector's former residence not more

than one time following the elector's removal. Affirmations

made under this paragraph shall be returned to the commission

of the elector's former county of residence and that

commission shall proceed to transfer the registration of the

elector under section 1502. Upon receipt of the address

change under section 1323(a)(3) (relating to application with

driver's license application), the commission of the

elector's former county of residence shall immediately

process the transfer of the elector in accordance with

section 1328. The commission shall promptly update

information contained in its registration records.

Section 5. Section 1502(a) of Title 25 is amended by adding

a paragraph to read:

§ 1502. Transfer of registration.

(a) General rule.--Upon timely receipt of notification of

removal under section 1501(b) (relating to removal notices), the

commission shall proceed as follows:

* * *

(4.1) When a registered elector has filed with a

commission a notice that the elector has moved from this

Commonwealth to another state, if the signature appears

authentic, the commission shall cancel the registration of

the elector and notify the elector's new state of residence.

* * *

Section 6. Section 1505(b) of Title 25 is amended to read:

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§ 1505. Death of registrant.

* * *

(b) Other sources.--A commission may also utilize published

newspaper obituaries, letters testamentary [or], letters of

administration issued by the office of the registrar of wills or

any other source of verified data to cancel and remove the

registration of an elector, provided that such removals are

uniform, nondiscriminatory and in compliance with the Voting

Rights Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-110, 42 U.S.C. § 1973 et

seq.). The commission shall promptly update information

contained in its registration records.

* * *

Section 7. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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