Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

 
                                        SENATE BILL 947
                                              By Kyle AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
                                            relative to evidence of identification for voting.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
       SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-112(c), is amended by deleting subdivision (2) and substituting instead the following:
               (2) A valid identification card that contains a photograph of the voter, and that was issued by this state, or by the United States where authorized by law to issue personal identification;
       SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-112(c), is further amended by
adding the following new subdivision:
               (8) A valid identification card that contains a photograph of the voter and that was issued by an accredited postsecondary institution of education in this state.
       SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-112, is amended by adding the following as a new subsection:
               (1) The secretary of state shall conduct a study into the use of student identification cards for the purposes of voting. The study must include a description of
       legitimate security concerns and benefits regarding the use of student identification cards for voting and recommendations for changes to student identification cards that could be implemented to allow the use of student identification cards for voting. In developing the report, the secretary of state shall consult with the following entities:
                       (A) The Tennessee higher education commission;
                       (B) The Tennessee board of regents;
                       (C) The university of Memphis;
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               (D) Tennessee state university;
               (E) The university of Tennessee;
               (F) The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association;
       and
               (G) The department of safety.
       (2) The secretary of state shall file the report required by subdivision ( )(1) on or
before January 31, 2022, with the following:
               (A) The education administration committee of the house of
       representatives and the education committee of the senate;
               (B) The senate state and local government committee;
               (C) The state government and local government committees of the house of representatives;
               (D) The joint government operations committee; and
               (E) The department of safety.
       (3) The secretary of state shall, on or before January 31, 2023, file a report with the state and local government committee of the senate and the local government committee of the house of representatives that provides an assessment of the use of
identification cards issued by a postsecondary institution of education for voting purposes pursuant to subdivision (c)(8) and compares the assessment with the study conducted pursuant to subdivision ( )(1).
       (4) This subsection ( ) is repealed February 1, 2023.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
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Statutes affected: 
Current Version: 2-7-112(c), 2-7-112