Bill
Bill > A5230
NJ A5230
NJ A5230Requires automatic voter registration to be available when applying for certain licenses and permits.
summary
Introduced
01/27/2025
01/27/2025
In Committee
01/27/2025
01/27/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/12/2026
01/12/2026
Introduced Session
2024-2025 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill requires the establishment of an automatic voter registration process at an agency, office, or local police force providing certain licenses and permits. The bill requires the automatic voter registration process to be available for persons applying for hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses, all around sportsman licenses, beaver trapping, wild turkey, or deer permits under the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection, and firearms purchaser identification cards or permits to carry handguns at local police forces or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety. The bill requires the respective agencies, offices, and local police forces to establish an automatic voter registration process similar to that currently applicable at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC). The bill also adds licenses to operate a power vessel, also known as boating licenses, under the NJMVC's current automatic voter registration process. Under the bill, any agency, office, or local police force that provides the above mentioned licenses and permits, that the Secretary of State verifies already collects documents that would provide proof of eligibility, including age, citizenship, and residence address, would be required to establish and implement, upon approval by the Secretary of State, a procedure for automatically and electronically transmitting voter registration information to the Secretary of State of persons who are eligible to vote for the purpose of registering such persons to vote or updating their voter registration. Each person from whom voter registration information is collected would be offered an opportunity to decline automatic voter registration. The bill requires compliance with the automatic voter registration requirements established under current law for the NJMVC, including the provision of required notices to their clients, to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State.
AI Summary
This bill expands automatic voter registration in New Jersey to include additional contexts beyond motor vehicle licensing. Specifically, the bill requires automatic voter registration to be available when individuals apply for hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses, all-around sportsman licenses, specific wildlife permits (beaver trapping, wild turkey, deer), and firearms purchaser identification cards or handgun permits. The bill also adds boating licenses to the Motor Vehicle Commission's existing automatic voter registration process. For each of these licensing scenarios, agencies must electronically transmit voter registration information to the Secretary of State for eligible individuals, while ensuring that applicants are offered an opportunity to decline registration. The agencies must verify that they already collect sufficient documentation to prove an applicant's eligibility, including proof of age, citizenship, and residence address. Applicants will receive notices about voter registration requirements and potential penalties for false registration, similar to the current process at the Motor Vehicle Commission. The bill is designed to make voter registration more accessible by integrating it into routine licensing procedures, allowing eligible residents to register to vote or update their registration seamlessly when applying for various state-issued licenses and permits.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs
Sponsors (4)
Last Action
Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee (on 01/27/2025)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A5230 |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2024/A5500/5230_I1.HTM |
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