House Bill 616 aims to amend various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated regarding the restoration of citizenship rights, particularly focusing on voting eligibility for individuals convicted of infamous crimes. The bill modifies the definition of a qualified voter by allowing individuals who have completed their sentences, including incarceration, probation, or parole, to regain their voting rights. It introduces new language that specifies a person’s right of suffrage can be restored due to the expiration of their sentence, and it clarifies the documentation required to prove eligibility for voter registration, including certificates of voting rights restoration issued by relevant authorities.

Additionally, the bill emphasizes that individuals convicted of infamous crimes are only ineligible to vote while they are currently imprisoned, on parole, or on probation. It removes previous language that may have imposed additional restrictions based on financial obligations, ensuring that the inability to pay fines or restitution does not further infringe upon a person's right to vote. The bill also mandates that the Department of Correction regularly communicate with the Secretary of State to facilitate the voter registration process for newly eligible individuals, thereby streamlining the restoration of voting rights for those who have served their sentences.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2-2-102, 2-2-116, 2-2-139(a), 2-2-139, 2-2-139(b), 2-19-143, 40-29-101, 40-29-105(b)(2), 40-29-105, 40-29-202, 40-29-203