BILL REQ. #: H-2254.1

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SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1517
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State of Washington

61st Legislature

2009 Regular Session

By House State Government & Tribal Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Darneille, Green, Dickerson, Goodman, Ormsby, Roberts, Flannigan, Pedersen, Appleton, Upthegrove, Simpson, Hasegawa, Chase, Liias, Miloscia, Kagi, Hudgins, Hunt, Santos, Wood, Moeller, Williams, Kenney, Carlyle, Nelson, and Quall)

READ FIRST TIME 02/23/09.

AN ACT Relating to the restoration of the right to vote for people who were convicted of felonies; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 Under law there is no clear way to determine when voting rights are restored to a person who has been convicted of a felony. This creates confusion and unnecessary barriers to voting. It also discriminates against certain groups of citizens. For example, approximately seventeen percent of African-Americans and ten percent of Latinos are prevented from voting. It is the intent of the legislature to create a clear delineation to determine when a person convicted of a felony, upon meeting specific responsibilities of his or her sentence, becomes eligible to gain the restoration of the right to vote.
The office of the secretary of state is directed to review current statutes and regulations as they relate to the restoration of felon's right to vote and recommend a solution to the 2010 legislature.

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