BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 1461 (Gonzalez) - Voter registration. ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: June 23, 2015 |Policy Vote: E. & C.A. 3 - 1, | | | T. & H. 8 - 3 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 27, 2015 |Consultant: Robert Ingenito | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- *********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM - SUSPENSE FILE *********** The following information is revised to reflect amendments adopted by the committee on August 27, 2015 Bill Summary: AB 1461 would provide that every person who (1) has a driver's license or state identification card, and (2) can be identified as eligible to register to vote would be automatically registered to vote, unless that person opts out, as specified. Fiscal Impact: This bill would have the following fiscal impacts: The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) estimates costs of approximately $640,000 in 2015-16 and $730,000 annually thereafter related to programming, driver's license form modifications, and increased talk-time in field offices. The Secretary of State's Office (SOS) estimates that up AB 1461 (Gonzalez) Page 1 of ? to 1.95 million State Voter Information Guides would be mailed to newly registered voters, at a cost of $891,000 per election. Voter notification cards would be sent to additional new or re-registered voters by the counties subject to state reimbursement, at a cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. A reduction in the 9.2 million DMV-printed registration forms, resulting in a potential annual savings of up to $368,000. A reduction in DMV's mailing 1.7 million of completed registration forms to counties, resulting in a potential savings of up to $816,000. Author Amendments: Clarify the roles of the DMV and SOS with respect to program implementation and responsibility, and specify that the look back registration period will extend only to January 1, 2015. -- END --