H-4726.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2306

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By House Committee on Government Administration (originally sponsored by Representatives Smith, B. Thomas, Bush and Dunn)

Read first time 01/30/98.  Referred to Committee on .

Indicating the citizenship requirement for voter registration.

    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 1993 c 434 s 8 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.  ((However, costs incurred by the secretary of state during 1994 and 1995 in the printing and distribution of voter registration forms shall be reimbursed by the counties.  This cost shall be considered an election cost under RCW 29.13.045 and be prorated as part of the 1994 and 1995 general election costs.))

All newly printed voter registration forms shall 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 shall 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 as a single question:

"Are you a United States citizen and do you want to register to vote or transfer your voter registration?".

    If the applicant ((chooses to register or transfer a registration)) responds in the affirmative, 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.

                            --- END ---