Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dvm Abr Cleanup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Secretary’s office seeks cleanup to DMV automatic voter registration data sharing in H.474
Summary
The committee heard that proposed edits would align automatic voter registration (ABR) transfers from the Department of Motor Vehicles with current practice—making clear that DMV does not forward records for applicants who do not attest to citizenship and adding E‑911 physical address fields to registration reports.
The Senate committee reviewed minor statutory cleanups in H.474 related to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ role in automatic voter registration (ABR).
Deputy Secretary Lauren Hibbert said the proposed change would make explicit current practice: if a DMV applicant does not attest to U.S. citizenship and DMV has no other proof of citizenship, that applicant’s information does not transfer to the Secretary of State’s ABR file and they are not registered to vote through ABR. Hibbert said the statutory language will be clarified to reflect opt‑out and attestation practices.
The bill language also would add the E‑911 physical address field (the physical location used by emergency services) to the registration transfer. Hibbert said the statute previously referenced a "physical address" without using the 9‑1‑1 terminology; the draft would update that wording so vendors and clerks consistently receive both mailing and E‑911 addresses.
Why it matters: clarifying which DMV applicant records transfer to the Secretary of State reduces confusion for clerks and voters and matches the current operational practice. The change is largely technical and intended to reduce downstream data errors when producing ballots and voter rolls.
Ending: Committee members did not object to the changes; the SOS office indicated these are cleanup items that align statute to current agreements and practice.
