Z-0735.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1754

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives D. Schmidt, Dunshee and Romero; by request of Secretary of State

Read first time 02/02/2001.  Referred to Committee on State Government.

Strengthening training of elections administrators.

    AN ACT Relating to election certification and training; creating a new section; making appropriations; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the 2000 presidential election demonstrated the importance of ensuring the highest possible level of technical skill and knowledge of federal and state laws and administrative rules on the part of those conducting elections.  It further finds that, while the people who administer elections in Washington have earned the confidence of the voters, even small errors can affect the outcome of an election.  It further finds that experience in other states such as Florida has shown the importance of well-trained, tested, and certified election administrators at all levels of the election process.  The legislature also finds that voting data on both a national and state level establishes the need to update voting equipment to ensure that voters are not inadvertently disenfranchised because of faulty or obsolete voting equipment or because those persons charged with operating and maintaining the voting equipment are not adequately trained or prepared for their duties.  Additionally, the legislature takes note of the United States Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore, in which the court directed that standards be adopted to ensure that a standard and uniform procedure is established for determining the validity of votes.  Therefore, the legislature directs that the certification and training program established in the office of the secretary of state under chapter 29.60 RCW be expanded to ensure that the mandate of the United States Supreme Court be implemented, that election administrators in the state of Washington receive expanded training and technical assistance to enable them to better fulfill their statutory obligations, that the testing and certification of those administrators continue, and that periodic reviews of county election procedures, policies, and practices take place as often as deemed necessary by the secretary of state but not less than once every three years in order to ensure that the highest level of professionalism in the administration of elections is maintained.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The sum of four hundred ninety thousand five hundred twenty-one dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, from the general fund to the secretary of state for the purposes of this act.

    The sum of four hundred seventy-four thousand three hundred fifty-six dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, from the general fund to the secretary of state for the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.

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