Secretary of State seeks ongoing HAVA match, transfers public‑printing work to Legislative Council; committee backs due‑pass on fee cleanup bill

Secretary of State Michael Howe and Deputy Sandy McMurdie told the Senate Appropriations — Government Operations Division they support the house budget for the Secretary of State (House Bill 1002) and explained several funding moves tied to election administration and business services.

Howe said the office asked that certain FTEs currently funded by federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) dollars and other special funds be funded instead from the general fund to avoid limitations on staff duties imposed by the federal grants. "We currently today are authorized for 35 FTEs. 4 of those 35 are special funded or federally funded," Howe said, adding that using general‑fund authority for those positions gives the elections unit more flexibility.

The office also described ongoing and one‑time federal grant authority added by the House. The hearing covered: a $200,000 general‑fund matching appropriation connected to potential HAVA awards, $1,000,000 in federal funds authority pending awards, SIF funding and other one‑time requests for election equipment and software, and the movement of public printing responsibilities to Legislative Council (the agency deferred the printing appropriation and asked Legislative Council to manage it).

Why it matters: The funding choices affect the operation of elections (staffing flexibility, equipment refresh cycles and grant matching), the cost borne by the state and the administrative structure for public printing and records. Howe said the agency anticipates larger replacement needs for ballot tabulators and other election hardware ahead of the 2028 presidential cycle.

During the Secretary of State portion of the hearing the committee also considered Senate Bill 2144, a bill clearing up business‑and‑notary fee language and eliminating a 50¢ per‑page paper‑copy service fee the office charges for mailed records. Deputy Secretary McMurdie told lawmakers the change reduces administrative burden and will lower revenue by about $10,000; the bill was offered as a net revenue reduction to make records access simpler for requesters.

Senator Dwyer moved a "do pass" recommendation on SB2144; Senator Eberly seconded. The committee recorded a roll call and approved the motion. The committee asked Senator Herbili to carry the bill to the full committee and to the floor.

Howe and McMurdie also discussed election security and the office’s responsibilities under HAVA. The office said it has been awarded HAVA funds in prior cycles and that those federal awards historically arrive in the federal fiscal year (the agency mentioned March as a typical timing). The department asked the committee to consider ongoing matching authority to maximize HAVA draws if the federal awards continue to be available.

On other items, the Secretary of State staff described planned use of previously appropriated SIF (Statewide Information Fund) money for poll‑pad and software updates and said they will likely return in the 2027 session for a broader ballot‑tabulator replacement request for 2028 election preparation.

The committee recessed after completing the Secretary of State budget overview and the SB2144 action.