H.B. 288 Voting Registration Amendments: transcript

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, committee, uh, chairman. This, uh, bill was before us last year. Uh, really hasn't had much change to it. A couple of small tweaks and, uh, it did not pass the timing of session last year, but it did pass through most all of our bodies just fine except the Senate at the very last day. It's a very simple bill, but I think, I believe is something that should be bipartisan support. When I mean by that is when you go to register to get a hunting or fishing license, this bill makes sure that you have an understanding that you also can get information to register to vote. So in my opinion, this is a really good way to help increase voter turnout or those who are registered to vote within the state of Utah and allows those who are already going to a state entity to get information to also get information to register to vote. And I think in increasing the turnout, uh, is a good thing on this. And that is the bill.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And just quick question, there's an amendment on here. Does that need to be? Yes, we, uh, talked that at the very beginning and, and you, you suggested that you were going to speak to the amendment. Did you cover that Representative Lee? Yes. And that was specifically what?

So on here, what they were doing is when someone goes into get their license, what this amendment does is talking to the Division of Wildlife and Management that they have, uh, many people who already registered to vote and they don't want them every single time they go in to get their license or try to get attacked, to continue to be burdened to say, are you registered to vote? Are you registered to vote? So they have some discretion on that for people that they see to not just continually tell them, you need to go vote, do you wanna register to vote? So we struck out that part of it that they were offering or were going to offer.

Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. And, and further it adds lines 55 through 57 talking about, uh, questions can be directed.

The office of Lieutenant Governor County Clerk. Correct. Uh, division of Wildlife Resources.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, I just want to, I think I see the answer right here in the bill, but just wanted to get your confirmation that this will be just as secure form of registration as any other.

Yeah, so they're only giving the information on how to register to vote. The LGS office still handles all of that.

Oh, okay. So they're not registering at the point. Correct. Okay, thank you.

Uh, my name is Helen Moser and I'm speaking on behalf of the League of Women Voters. Uh, the ligature are aware as a nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering voters and strengthening democracy, and we strongly support HB 2 88. Bill takes a simple practical approach to voter registration. It, it ensures that when eligible Utah Utahns purchase a hunting or fishing license, either in person or online, they're given clear, accurate information about how to register or pre-register to vote. It simply ensures that the opportunity is visible, accessible, and easy. And for many utahns, especially those in rural areas or those who work long or regular hours, the Division of Wildlife Resources offices may be one of the few state offices they regularly visit. So HB 2 88 meets voters where they already are instead of requiring them to seek out registration opportunities on their own. And then we also appreciate that it uses existing systems and trusted election officials and that questions are directed to election professionals, professionals in both the LTG office and county clerks. So Democracy works best when participation is broad and inclusive, and this bill helps ensure that eligible voters are informed of their rights and options without Audi adding cost, bureaucracy or partisanship. So we strongly support the bill.

Thank you chair. I'll make a motion that we adopt house amendment one.

Uh, no. I'll waive.

I'm good. Okay. We knew that. Alright. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Chair. I move that we pass out favorably from this committee. HB 2 88 voting registration amendments as amended.

Um, I think we've had a good and short conversation about it. Thanks.

of the bill here. Go ahead. No, Thank you. I think we've had more discussion than words in the bill, so appreciate it.

I think this is the least controversial bill I've ever seen you run.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, there's a substitute that I would need to adopt on this. Sorry, what was that? Yeah, can I make a motion? Go ahead. Representative. Can I make a motion to adopt first substitute?

This is adding a small context or a small piece of the bill that gives the legislative auditors or the Lieutenant Governor's office the ability to use a resource or tool to help them with verifying some election, uh, verification.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, colleagues, this is the same bill that we had this last year as it pertains to helping increase voter turnout in our elections. This allows the DNR and the Department of Wildlife to offer voting information to those who are coming to get a hunting and fishing license to also see if they would like to register to vote. If they would like to, they'll refer them to Lieutenant Governor's office with the paperwork that they need to increase, uh, the amount of voters in our elections.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield Representative Lee, will you yield?

Yes. Yes. Representative Cutler.

Uh, I su I support the, uh, the concept of the underlying bill. I wanted to ask a question about, uh, the, what, uh, the substitute information you just put in where the Lieutenant Governor or the legislative auditor general can contract with a third party that specializes in voter registration systems. Are you aware of other cases? I i, is, is this element strictly related to the, the new effort for hunting and fishing licenses? Or is this, uh, ability to audit and, and hire someone else to investigate our voter records? Completely outside. Uh, and, and the, does this mean the whole voter database?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker for the question. So I believe this does go hand in hand. Uh, this is trying to increase voter turnout, but at the same time, this has given another tool to the lieutenant governor or to the state auditor that they would like to verify voter record and information that it completely goes in line with this bill.

I understand that, uh, the answer, it wasn't to the answer to the question I asked. Uh, which I, the, can you gimme an example where we, Oh, hang on just a minute. Representative Lee, will you continue to yield to a question?

Yes, I would. Yeah, go ahead.

Representative Cutler are, Are there other examples where, uh, our elections office or, uh, the legislative auditor general, uh, contracts with a third party and gives them complete access to our data records for analysis?

Uh, the answer is no. However, this is a tool they could use, so they choose to use it.

Thank You, Mr. Speaker with the sponsor yield to a series of questions. Representative Lee would yield to a series of questions.

Yes. Yes. Representative sto.

Thank you. So I, I just want to confirm, so there's no other statute currently in place that would allow, uh, these two groups to contract with a third party to get all this private information. Is that accurate?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, no, not that I'm aware. This is not a tool that right now they have an option to use anywhere else in code.

A follow up question, are you aware what the cost would be for a third party audit like this?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, no, but this would be something that if they chose to use it, they would have to come to us and they would, we would be receiving that information as if something we would want to fund.

And are there other instances where we hand over this private information and data to third parties outside of the election code?

Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, there is not. Once again, this is just the tool. So if they so choose that they could use to help them complete audits and verify voter record information, the software that currently they don't have access to nor use. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Uh, colleagues, I appreciate what the sponsor is trying to do here, but I have huge concerns. One's about the change of the tone of the bill. Uh, this bill started out initially as a very straightforward bill, uh, with no opposition to now having a very concerning part added to it. Uh, with this substitute, it allows our government to hand over information such as driver's license records, property track records, vital records, uh, a lot of very private information to a third party. Um, I think there's fiscal concerns about it, but also just privacy concerns. Uh, if this is an issue, I would rather see this go through the regular committee process and be vetted as an RFA where we know that there are government agencies who will take care of this information and will be responsible with it, as opposed to giving carte blanche to some third party that we know nothing about to handle all this private information. There's nothing in the bill that addresses privacy breaches, information breaches. And, you know, you look at all those times that you get emails saying that your information has been stolen. What happens if we as a state allow a third party to handle that information and it gets stolen? You can guess who's gonna be on the hook for the insurance coverage for all the individuals whose information is stolen. I think with this change, we have not had time to properly vet this bill, and we're putting the private information of all of our constituents at risk. And so I would urge your opposition to this bill. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker motion to circle That motion is nor, uh, would you like to speak to it?

I would, I think that this is a substantive enough change that we have not had a chance, a chance to discuss or research or vet, and it would behoove the body to have an opportunity to have those discussions with the sponsor.

Uh, no. I reject that motion. I think that it's pretty self straightforward on what this is trying to do with the substitute

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Um, I would reiterate that, um, the body has not had an opportunity to review this, and I don't believe that it is actually straightforward. I think this is a fundamental policy change that is, uh, dramatically different than what was discussed in past, um, prior to now. And that it a one day concession in order to have meaningful policy discussions is critical to the process.

No. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, once again, it's very straightforward. Uh, this is a option that we are giving and a tool to the Lieutenant Governor's office or the state auditor if they would like to do that. If they feel like there are concerns, they don't have to use it, they don't have to go down this path, but it gives them more in their quivers that they can use to help with our election integrity and help verify voter records and ensure trust in our elections. And the other piece of that Bill wants to get is increasing voter turnout as we allow those who are getting their hunting and fishing license to register to vote.

Speaker Motion. Thank you.

to adopt first substitute?

This is adding a small context or a small piece of the bill that gives the legislative auditors or the Lieutenant Governor's office the ability to use a resource or tool to help them with verifying some election, uh, verification.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, colleagues, this is the same bill that we had this last year as it pertains to helping increase voter turnout in our elections. This allows the DNR and the Department of Wildlife to offer voting information to those who are coming to get a hunting and fishing license to also see if they would like to register to vote. If they would like to, they'll refer them to Lieutenant Governor's office with the paperwork that they need to increase, uh, the amount of voters in our elections.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Will the sponsor yield Representative Lee, will you yield?

Yes. Yes. Representative Cutler.

Uh, I su I support the, uh, the concept of the underlying bill. I wanted to ask a question about, uh, the, what, uh, the substitute information you just put in where the Lieutenant Governor or the legislative auditor general can contract with a third party that specializes in voter registration systems. Are you aware of other cases? I i, is, is this element strictly related to the, the new effort for hunting and fishing licenses? Or is this, uh, ability to audit and, and hire someone else to investigate our voter records? Completely outside. Uh, and, and the, does this mean the whole voter database?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker for the question. So I believe this does go hand in hand. Uh, this is trying to increase voter turnout, but at the same time, this has given another tool to the lieutenant governor or to the state auditor that they would like to verify voter record and information that it completely goes in line with this bill.

I understand that, uh, the answer, it wasn't to the answer to the question I asked. Uh, which I, the, can you gimme an example where we, Oh, hang on just a minute.

Yes, I would. Yeah, go ahead.

Representative Cutler are, Are there other examples where, uh, our elections office or, uh, the legislative auditor general, uh, contracts with a third party and gives them complete access to our data records for analysis?

Uh, the answer is no. However, this is a tool they could use, so they choose to use it.

Thank You, Mr. Speaker with the sponsor yield to a series of questions. Representative Lee would yield to a series of questions.

Thank you. So I, I just want to confirm, so there's no other statute currently in place that would allow, uh, these two groups to contract with a third party to get all this private information. Is that accurate?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, no, not that I'm aware. This is not a tool that right now they have an option to use anywhere else in code.

A follow up question, are you aware what the cost would be for a third party audit like this?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Uh, no, but this would be something that if they chose to use it, they would have to come to us and they would, we would be receiving that information as if something we would want to fund.

And are there other instances where we hand over this private information and data to third parties outside of the election code?

Uh, thank you, Mr. Speaker. No, there is not. Once again, this is just the tool. So if they so choose that they could use to help them complete audits and verify voter record information, the software that currently they don't have access to nor use. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Uh, colleagues, I appreciate what the sponsor is trying to do here, but I have huge concerns. One's about the change of the tone of the bill. Uh, this bill started out initially as a very straightforward bill, uh, with no opposition to now having a very concerning part added to it. Uh, with this substitute, it allows our government to hand over information such as driver's license records, property track records, vital records, uh, a lot of very private information to a third party. Um, I think there's fiscal concerns about it, but also just privacy concerns. Uh, if this is an issue, I would rather see this go through the regular committee process and be vetted as an RFA where we know that there are government agencies who will take care of this information and will be responsible with it, as opposed to giving carte blanche to some third party that we know nothing about to handle all this private information. There's nothing in the bill that addresses privacy breaches, information breaches. And, you know, you look at all those times that you get emails saying that your information has been stolen. What happens if we as a state allow a third party to handle that information and it gets stolen? You can guess who's gonna be on the hook for the insurance coverage for all the individuals whose information is stolen. I think with this change, we have not had time to properly vet this bill, and we're putting the private information of all of our constituents at risk. And so I would urge your opposition to this bill. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker motion to circle

I would, I think that this is a substantive enough change that we have not had a chance, a chance to discuss or research or vet, and it would behoove the body to have an opportunity to have those discussions with the sponsor.

Uh, no. I reject that motion. I think that it's pretty self straightforward on what this is trying to do with the substitute

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Um, I would reiterate that, um, the body has not had an opportunity to review this, and I don't believe that it is actually straightforward. I think this is a fundamental policy change that is, uh, dramatically different than what was discussed in past, um, prior to now. And that it a one day concession in order to have meaningful policy discussions is critical to the process.

No. Thank you Mr. Speaker. Uh, once again, it's very straightforward. Uh, this is a option that we are giving and a tool to the Lieutenant Governor's office or the state auditor if they would like to do that. If they feel like there are concerns, they don't have to use it, they don't have to go down this path, but it gives them more in their quivers that they can use to help with our election integrity and help verify voter records and ensure trust in our elections. And the other piece of that Bill wants to get is increasing voter turnout as we allow those who are getting their hunting and fishing license to register to vote.

Speaker Motion. Thank you. Uh, motion has been made to do, uh, to lift the call The house.