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Committee moves amended election‑impersonation language into House bill and advances measure
Summary
The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee adopted an amendment to clarify the crime of falsely representing oneself as an election official and then substituted that language into House Bill 2056, advancing the combined measure to the Senate floor.
The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee adopted an amendment clarifying the elements of the criminal offense for falsely representing oneself as an election official and then combined that language into House Bill 2056; the committee voted to advance the substituted bill to the Senate floor.
Committee staff explained the amendment, offered at the request of the Secretary of State's office, would reorganize the statute's elements: it moves proposed language about using "any official seal or other insignia" into the element that describes the prohibited conduct and clarifies that the actor must have intent to cause a person to believe the actor is an election official. The amendment also struck a separate language element about "giving the appearance" and focused the offense on intent plus the use of official seals/insignia or communications designed to cause the belief.
The change does not alter the criminal penalty, which remains a level 7 nonperson felony under current statute. Committee members asked whether the offense applies to in-person registration and to mailed communications; staff said it applies to any conduct holding oneself out as an election official, in person or by mail. The committee adopted the amendment and then voted to insert the amended text into House Bill 2056 (creating a Senate-substitute-for-House-Bill 2056 package) to allow the House the opportunity to review the altered language.
Committee action: The committee adopted the Secretary of State's drafting amendment by voice vote, then the chair moved to insert the amended language into House Bill 2056 and the committee approved that substitution and voted to pass the Senate-sub-for-House-Bill 2056 favorably to the floor.
Committee staff said the amendment was intended to address litigation concerns raised about the prior statutory language, and staff and members emphasized the change is intended as a clarifying amendment rather than a change to the penalty structure.
