Select committee on elections.

2017
STATE OF WYOMING
17LSO-0471
Introduced
1.3

HOUSE BILL

NO.

HB0248

Select committee on elections.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Zwonitzer and Lindholm and Senator(s) Rothfuss

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to elections; creating the select committee on elections; providing for a study; requiring a report; providing appropriations; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

(a)

There is created
the

select committee on elections
consisting of the following members:

(
i
)

Five
(
5
) members of the Wyoming senate appointed by the president of the senate
, one (1) of whom shall be designated as cochairman
;

(
ii
)

Five
(
5
) members of the Wyoming house
of representatives
appointed by the speaker of the house
, one (1) of whom shall be designated as cochairman
.

(
b
)

The
select committee
shall
identify,
study and make recommendations
on
:

(i)

V
oter access including consideration of alternative ballot distribution methods
and
emerging
technology for casting votes
;

(ii)

E
lection results including consideration of alternative voting methods;

(iii)

V
ot
er
eligibility
and voting rights
restoration and enfranchisement;

(iv)

The
electoral college
and
presidential
primary caucus process
es
;

(v)

Campaign finance
reporting
and oversight including consideration of penalties
for noncompliance
and
e
nforcement
mechanisms;

(vi)

Elections
and duties of
precinct committeemen and committeewomen;

(vii)

Methods and procedures for redistricting;

(viii)

Transparency and auditing of candidate
and lobbyist
financial
disclosures
including consi
deration of whether such requirements
should be imposed on members of the executive or judicial branch of government;

(ix)

Election processes of any county, city, town, school district, special district or any other political subdivision of the state;

(x)

Specific changes to Wyoming law which may be necessary to modernize elections in the state.

(
c
)

The
select committee
may limit its consideration of the issues specified in subsection (
b
) of this section
to only those issues which can be properly studied, giving preference to issues that have the largest impact on the public and on elections and for which a solution might be reasonably available.

(
d
)

In making any recommendations, the
select committee
shall rank any recommended changes in order of importance. The
select committee
shall
also
provide a plan and timeline for the implementation of each recommended change into law, giving due preference to the early implementation of changes that will have the greatest impact and changes which reasonably can be accomplished with available resources.

(
e
)

The
select committee
shall submit a report summarizing its studies, findings and recommendations to the joint corporations, elections and political subdivisions interim committee on or before
October 1
5
, 201
7
. The joint corporations, elections and political subdivisions interim committee shall consider the recommendations and develop any legislation it deems appropriate for consideration by the legislature.

(
f
)

The
select committee
shall hold at least four (4)

meetings. T
he
select committee
shall be staffed by the legislative service office. State agencies shall provide information and assistance to the
select committee

as requested by the
select committee
.

(
g
)

The
select committee

shall exist until December 31, 201
7
.

Members of the
select committee

shall be paid salary, per diem and mileage, but no salary for preparation as provided in W.S. 28
‑
5
‑
101
(
e)(iii),
for their official duties as members of the
select committee
.

Section 2.

There is appropriated from the general fund
for the purposes of this act forty
‑
five
thousand dollars ($
45
,000.00) to the legislative service office
for providing the payments to members
of the select committee

as authorized in section 1 of this act
.
Funds appropriated in this section shall
be for the period beginning with the effective date of this act and ending June 30, 2018. Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
th
is
appropriation s
hall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds
remaining from th
is
appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2018.

Section

3
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

1
HB0248