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Committee pauses bill that would require canvassers to warn signers about petition fraud
Summary
Sponsors temporarily withdrew Senate Bill 207 after committee members and staff raised questions about statutory language and whether the bill’s reference to 'petition fraud' matched other code sections. The sponsor said he will fix wording and return the bill for consideration.
Senate Bill 207, a measure that would require a person acting as a canvasser to notify potential petition signers that petition fraud is a criminal offense, was pulled from consideration during the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Representative Ken Underwood introduced the measure as part of a package of bills the sponsors said were designed to deter fraud and promote transparency in the ballot initiative process. Underwood told the committee SB 207 “requires the canvasser to inform potential signers that petition fraud is a class A misdemeanor; the notification can be done verbally or in writing.” He said the verbal option is intended to ensure signers are given clear notice when a document is being circulated.
Committee members raised technical and statutory questions during debate. Representative Courtney Collins (committee member) and others noted apparent conflicts between code sections cited in committee discussion: some statutes referenced petition-related offenses as misdemeanors while other code sections describe “petition fraud” as a felony. Representative Collins said the bill’s language appeared to mismatch the statutory citations and urged clarification.
Committee members and sponsors discussed whether the statutory cross-references in the bill pointed to the correct subsections and whether the bill as drafted would accurately communicate the level of offense to a signer. Senator Hammer and Representative Underwood agreed it would be prudent to clarify and to consult with legal staff before further action. After discussion the sponsors asked to pull the bill temporarily so the drafting and statutory citations could be reconciled.
The chair accepted the sponsor’s request to remove SB 207 from consideration for the moment; supporters said they would return with corrected language. The transcript records the sponsors and the committee agreeing to revisit SB 207 after staff research and drafting work.
The pause followed extended committee debate about which statutes should be cited and whether a one‑sentence verbal warning would accomplish the sponsor’s goals without creating unintended legal consequences for canvassers or signers.
