Florida Senate - 2016 SB 744
By Senator Bean
4-00893-16 2016744__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to addresses of legal residence;
3 amending s. 97.021, F.S.; defining the term “address
4 of legal residence”; amending ss. 97.053 and 97.057,
5 F.S.; requiring a voter registration application to
6 include the applicant’s address of legal residence;
7 conforming a provision; amending s. 98.015, F.S.;
8 providing that a list of valid addresses maintained by
9 a supervisor of elections include certain additional
10 distinguishing information; providing an effective
11 date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Present subsections (3) through (44) of section
16 97.021, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (4)
17 through (45), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to
18 that section, to read:
19 97.021 Definitions.—For the purposes of this code, except
20 where the context clearly indicates otherwise, the term:
21 (3) “Address of legal residence” means the legal
22 residential address of the elector and includes all information
23 necessary to differentiate one residence from another,
24 including, but not limited to, a distinguishing apartment,
25 suite, lot, room, or dormitory room number or other identifier.
26 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section
27 97.053, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
28 97.053 Acceptance of voter registration applications.—
29 (5)(a) A voter registration application is complete if it
30 contains the following information necessary to establish the
31 applicant’s eligibility pursuant to s. 97.041, including:
32 1. The applicant’s name.
33 2. The applicant’s address of legal residence address.
34 3. The applicant’s date of birth.
35 4. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant is a
36 citizen of the United States.
37 5.a. The applicant’s current and valid Florida driver
38 license number or the identification number from a Florida
39 identification card issued under s. 322.051, or
40 b. If the applicant has not been issued a current and valid
41 Florida driver license or a Florida identification card, the
42 last four digits of the applicant’s social security number.
43
44 In case an applicant has not been issued a current and valid
45 Florida driver license, Florida identification card, or social
46 security number, the applicant shall affirm this fact in the
47 manner prescribed in the uniform statewide voter registration
48 application.
49 6. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant has
50 not been convicted of a felony or that, if convicted, has had
51 his or her civil rights restored.
52 7. A mark in the checkbox affirming that the applicant has
53 not been adjudicated mentally incapacitated with respect to
54 voting or that, if so adjudicated, has had his or her right to
55 vote restored.
56 8. The original signature or a digital signature
57 transmitted by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor
58 Vehicles of the applicant swearing or affirming under the
59 penalty for false swearing pursuant to s. 104.011 that the
60 information contained in the registration application is true
61 and subscribing to the oath required by s. 3, Art. VI of the
62 State Constitution and s. 97.051.
63 Section 3. Subsection (10) of section 97.057, Florida
64 Statutes, is amended to read:
65 97.057 Voter registration by the Department of Highway
66 Safety and Motor Vehicles.—
67 (10) The department shall provide the Department of Highway
68 Safety and Motor Vehicles with an electronic database of street
69 addresses valid for use as an address of the legal residence
70 address as required in s. 97.053(5). The Department of Highway
71 Safety and Motor Vehicles shall compare the address provided by
72 the applicant against the database of valid street addresses. If
73 the address provided by the applicant does not match a valid
74 street address in the database, the applicant will be asked to
75 verify the address provided. The Department of Highway Safety
76 and Motor Vehicles may shall not reject any application for
77 voter registration for which a valid match cannot be made.
78 Section 4. Subsection (12) of section 98.015, Florida
79 Statutes, is amended to read:
80 98.015 Supervisor of elections; election, tenure of office,
81 compensation, custody of registration-related documents, office
82 hours, successor, seal; appointment of deputy supervisors;
83 duties.—
84 (12) Each supervisor shall maintain a list of valid
85 residential street addresses for purposes of verifying the legal
86 addresses of voters residing in the supervisor’s county. To the
87 maximum extent practicable, the list must include information
88 necessary to differentiate one residence from another,
89 including, but not limited to, a distinguishing apartment,
90 suite, lot, room, or dormitory room number or other identifier.
91 The supervisor shall make all reasonable efforts to coordinate
92 with county 911 service providers, property appraisers, the
93 United States Postal Service, or other agencies as necessary to
94 ensure the continued accuracy of such list. The supervisor shall
95 provide the list of valid residential addresses to the statewide
96 voter registration system in the manner and frequency specified
97 by rule of the department.
98 Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.