S-0696.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5293

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senator Benton

Read first time 01/18/2001.  Referred to Committee on State & Local Government.

Discouraging voter registration by noncitizens.

    AN ACT Relating to voter registration; and amending RCW 29.08.080 and 46.20.155.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 29.08.080 and 1999 c 298 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

    The secretary of state shall furnish registration forms necessary to carry out the registration of voters as provided by this chapter without cost to the respective counties.  All voter registration forms printed after the effective date of this act must include clear and conspicuous language, designed to draw an applicant's attention, stating that only citizens of the United States may register to vote.  Similar language must be stamped conspicuously onto existing voter registration forms in the possession of the office of the secretary of state.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 46.20.155 and 1990 c 143 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

    Before issuing an original license or identification card or renewing a license or identification card under this chapter, the licensing agent shall determine if the applicant wants to register to vote or transfer his or her voter registration by asking the following two questions:

First:  "Do you want to register to vote or transfer your voter registration?"

Second:  "Are you a United States citizen?".

    If the applicant ((chooses to register or transfer a registration)) responds in the affirmative to both questions, the agent shall provide the applicant with a voter registration form and instructions and shall record that the applicant has requested to register to vote or transfer a voter registration.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

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