ASSEMBLY, No. 5242

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 30, 2025

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  ROBERT AUTH

District 39 (Bergen)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Myhre and Assemblywoman Flynn

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Requires automatic voter registration process at local police force locations or Division of State Police providing firearms purchaser identification cards.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  

An Act concerning automatic voter registration locations and amending P.L.2018, c.6.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.  Section 4 of P.L.2018, c.6 (C.19:31-6.14) is amended to read as follows:

     4.    a.         Any State agency, except for the Motor Vehicle Commission, that the Secretary of State verifies already collects documents that would provide proof of eligibility, including age, citizenship, and residence address, may establish and implement, upon approval by the Secretary of State, a procedure for automatically and electronically transmitting voter registration information to the Secretary of State of persons who are eligible to vote for the purpose of registering such persons to vote or updating their voter registration. Each person from whom such information is collected shall be offered an opportunity to decline automatic voter registration. Any such agency shall comply with the requirements, to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State, as established in subsections b. through d. of section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2).

     b.    Any additional agencies that are designated for automatic voter registration shall comply with the requirements, to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State, as established in section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2) for automatic voter registration and shall provide the notices required pursuant to subsection c. thereof to each person from whom such information is collected.

     c.     Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the contrary, any local police force or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety issuing firearms purchaser identification cards, established pursuant to subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:58-3, and that the Secretary of State verifies already collects documents that would provide proof of eligibility, including age, citizenship, and residence address, shall establish and implement, upon approval by the Secretary of State, a procedure for automatically and electronically transmitting voter registration information to the Secretary of State of persons who are eligible to vote for the purpose of registering such persons to vote or updating their voter registration.  Each person from whom such information is collected shall be offered an opportunity to decline automatic voter registration.  A local police force or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety implementing the provisions of this subsection shall comply with the requirements, to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State, for automatic voter registration as established in subsections b. through d. of section 24 of P.L.1994, c.182 (C.39:2-3.2), including the provision of the notices required pursuant to subsection c. thereof to each person from whom voter registration information is collected.

(cf: P.L.2018, c.6, s.4)

 

     2.  This act shall take effect on January 1 next following the date of enactment, but the Secretary of State may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill requires the establishment of an automatic voter registration process at local police force locations or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety, which issue firearms purchaser identification cards.  The bill requires such local police forces or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety to establish an automatic voter registration process similar to that currently applicable at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC).

     Under the bill, any local police force or the Division of State Police in the Department of Law and Public Safety issuing firearms purchaser identification cards, that the Secretary of State verifies already collects documents that would provide proof of eligibility, including age, citizenship, and residence address, would be required to establish and implement, upon approval by the Secretary of State, a procedure for automatically and electronically transmitting voter registration information to the Secretary of State of persons who are eligible to vote for the purpose of registering such persons to vote or updating their voter registration.  Each person from whom voter registration information is collected would be offered an opportunity to decline automatic voter registration.  The bill requires compliance with the automatic voter registration requirements established under current law for the NJMVC, including the provision of required notices to their clients, to the extent applicable as determined by the Secretary of State.