| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to the chief election officer; amending s. |
| 3 | 97.012, F.S.; requiring that the Secretary of State |
| 4 | endeavor to be nonpartisan in all decisions and statements |
| 5 | related to elections; prohibiting the secretary from |
| 6 | performing certain actions; providing an effective date. |
| 7 |
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| 8 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 9 |
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| 10 | Section 1. Subsection (16) is added to section 97.012, |
| 11 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 12 | 97.012 Secretary of State as chief election officer.--The |
| 13 | Secretary of State is the chief election officer of the state, |
| 14 | and it is his or her responsibility to: |
| 15 | (16) Endeavor to be nonpartisan in all decisions and |
| 16 | statements. The secretary may not: |
| 17 | (a) Directly or indirectly engage in any political |
| 18 | campaign or in any partisan political activity except to vote; |
| 19 | (b) Serve as an officer of any political party or any |
| 20 | partisan organization; |
| 21 | (c) Publicly support or oppose any partisan organization |
| 22 | or candidate, including candidates for any local, state, or |
| 23 | federal office; |
| 24 | (d) Allow his or her name to be used in connection with |
| 25 | any activity of a political organization; |
| 26 | (e) Make speeches on behalf of any political organization |
| 27 | or any candidate; |
| 28 | (f) Attend political gatherings; |
| 29 | (g) Take a public position for or against, or participate |
| 30 | in a campaign to support or oppose, any ballot initiative or |
| 31 | ballot measure; or |
| 32 | (h) Make any contribution to, or solicit funds on behalf |
| 33 | of, any political party, partisan organization, or candidate, |
| 34 | including a candidate for any local, state, or federal office. |
| 35 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008. |