SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 2875

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Government Operations & Elections, February 24, 2004

Title: An act relating to enhancing voting programs for young people.

Brief Description: Creating a task force to enhance youth voter education programs.

Sponsors: House Committee on State Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Upthegrove, Ruderman, Miloscia, Nixon, Tom, Eickmeyer, Santos, Ormsby, Kagi and Dickerson).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 2/24/04 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Stevens, Vice Chair; Berkey, Fairley, Horn, Kastama and McCaslin.

Staff: Mac Nicholson (786-7445)

Background: The Secretary of State (SoS), county auditors, political parties, high school civics organizations, and voting organizations all have programs that educate high school students about voting, and encourage them to become active in elections once they are eligible to vote.

Summary of Bill: The SoS must convene a task force to explore opportunities for enhancing voter education programs for youth. Staff support is provided by the Secretary's Office. The task force has 16 members:

      •    Four members must be members of the Legislature, one from each caucus of each house;

      •    At least two members must represent the SoS;

      •    At least two members must represent county auditors;

      •    At least two members must represent the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), at least one of whom must represent the Office of Private Education within OSPI; and

      •    The remaining six members must be from organizations that participate in voting, civics, or educational programs for youth, appointed by the SoS.

The task force must research the current opportunities for high school students to learn about voting, share information regarding those events and programs that have been successful, research opportunities for organizations to collaborate, develop realistic and effective strategies to expose all high school students to voting education programs and events, and research the costs and any possible funding sources. The task force must make recommendations and report back to the Legislature during the 2006 legislative session. The report must be in electronic form only, provided to all county auditors, and posted on the SoS website.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The bill attempts to increase voter participation among youth by creating a task force to examine and develop programs that are effective at educating youths about civics and voting.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Sam Reed, Secretary of State; Larry Davis, State Board of Education; Hal Lymus, Office of the Secretary of State.