Election Laws

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass and there is no effective date specified.

Voter Registration Verification Act

This bill requires Tennessee's county election commissions to use the SAVE program to check new voter applicants and existing voters' lists to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered.

What This Bill Does

• Requires each county election commission to check every person who applies to register as a voter with the SAVE program before adding them to the voter list.
• Requires each county election commission to check their entire voter registration list at least once every three months using the SAVE program to ensure only U.S. citizens are registered.

Who It Names or Affects

• County election commissions in Tennessee
• People who want to register as voters in Tennessee

Terms To Know

SAVE program

A federal database used by states to verify if someone is a U.S. citizen.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass and was stopped in the Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee.
• It requires local governments to spend money each year to check voter lists, but it does not specify how much or who will pay for this.

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 2124
By Bowling

HOUSE BILL 1897
By Warner
HB1897
011845
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
relative to voter registration.

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Homeland Security has expanded the
accessibility of the systematic alien verification for entitlements (SAVE) program to verify
immigration status to be available to any state election official, including county election officials;
and
WHEREAS, the cost of accessing that data has been eliminated by the Department of
Homeland Security; and
WHEREAS, the ability to enter batch numbers of registrants is now possible; now,
therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-141, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(f)
(1) Each county election commission shall check each applicant for registration
with the systematic alien verification for entitlements (SAVE) program database prior to
placing a registrant on the voter rolls in order to ensure non-United States citizens are
not registered to vote in the county.
(2) At least once each quarter, the county election commission shall check the
county's entire voter registration list through the SAVE program database to ensure that
non-United States citizens are not on the voter rolls in the county.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.