Bill > HB0069

This bill establishes new procedures for verifying voter eligibility in Tennessee by creating two secure electronic portals to be developed by January 1, 2028: one for checking United States citizenship and another for checking felony conviction status. The citizenship verification portal, created by the coordinator of elections and department of safety, will allow county election administrators to confirm an applicant's citizenship by cross-referencing driver's license or identification card records. The felony conviction verification portal, developed by the coordinator of elections and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), will enable administrators to check if an applicant is ineligible to vote due to a felony conviction. Both portals include provisions for handling situations where multiple records are found, when the system is offline, and for maintaining confidentiality of information. The bill also requires that lawful permanent residents be issued temporary driver's licenses instead of standard licenses to aid in voter eligibility verification. If an application is rejected based on portal information, the administrator must provide written notice to the applicant with appeal rights. The bill is intended to be funded by federal grant funding and includes severability clauses to ensure that if any part of the law is found invalid, the remaining provisions can still be enforced.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0069&ga=114