HB 939

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to the chief election officer; amending s.
397.012, F.S.; requiring that the Secretary of State
4endeavor to be nonpartisan in all decisions and statements
5related to elections; prohibiting the secretary from
6performing certain actions; providing an effective date.
7
8Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10     Section 1.  Subsection (16) is added to section 97.012,
11Florida Statutes, to read:
12     97.012  Secretary of State as chief election officer.--The
13Secretary of State is the chief election officer of the state,
14and it is his or her responsibility to:
15     (16)  Endeavor to be nonpartisan in all decisions and
16statements. The secretary may not:
17     (a)  Directly or indirectly engage in any political
18campaign or in any partisan political activity except to vote;
19     (b)  Serve as an officer of any political party or any
20partisan organization;
21     (c)  Publicly support or oppose any partisan organization
22or candidate, including candidates for any local, state, or
23federal office;
24     (d)  Allow his or her name to be used in connection with
25any activity of a political organization;
26     (e)  Make speeches on behalf of any political organization
27or any candidate;
28     (f)  Attend political gatherings;
29     (g)  Take a public position for or against, or participate
30in a campaign to support or oppose, any ballot initiative or
31ballot measure; or
32     (h)  Make any contribution to, or solicit funds on behalf
33of, any political party, partisan organization, or candidate,
34including a candidate for any local, state, or federal office.
35     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.