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Senate Bill No. 3002
(By Senators Tomblin, Mr. President, and Sprouse,
By Request of the Executive)
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[Introduced November 15, 2004; referred to the Committee on
Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §3-1-48 of the code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to facilitating implementation of
the "Help America Vote Act of 2002"; implementing electronic
voting systems; providing legislative findings; continuing the
state election fund; specifying requirements for funding
county voting system; allowing loans to counties; establishing
special revenue account; specifying criteria for obtaining a
loan; providing for investment of fund moneys; allowing loans
to counties for electronic voting systems; specifying
eligibility requirements for loans; giving authority to state
election commission to waive matching moneys; limiting
availability of loans; specifying duties of secretary of
state; and authorizing methods for compelling repayment of
loans.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §3-1-48 of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. LIMITS AND JURISDICTION.
§3-1-48. Legislative findings; state election fund; loans to
counties; availability of funds; repayment of loans.
(a) Legislative findings. - The "Help America Vote Act of
2002", PL 107-252, 42 U. S. C. 15301, et seq., provides funding so
that all states will be able to implement some form of electronic
voting system to replace punch card and lever machines by two
thousand six. The new voting systems must meet several
requirements including notifying the voter of over votes and
permitting each voter to review his or her ballot and correct
errors before casting the vote. The limited, finite funding
available to the state will not be sufficient to meet current and
future needs for equipment and services as equipment needs to be
obtained, repaired or replaced as technology changes. It is the
intent of the Legislature to maximize the available funds by
establishing a no interest loan program to assist any county,
regardless of its current voting system in purchasing necessary
electronic voting equipment and services. As the loans are repaid
funds will continue to be available to meet future needs.
(b) State election fund. - There is hereby created in the
state treasury a The special revenue account to be heretofore
created in the state treasury and known as the "State Election Fund" account is hereby continued. Expenditures from the account
shall be used by the secretary of state for the administration of
this chapter in accordance with the provisions of 42 U.S.C. §1530
42 U. S. C. §15301, et seq., the Help America Vote Act of 2002, PL
107-252, in accordance with the provisions of article eleven,
chapter four, of this code.
(c) Establishment of special revenue account. - There is
hereby created in the state treasury a special revenue revolving
fund account known as the "county assistance voting equipment fund"
which shall be an interest bearing account. The fund shall consist
of an initial transfer not to exceed eight million five hundred
thousand dollars from the state election fund established under
subsection (b) of this section pursuant to legislative
appropriation; any future funds received from the federal
government under the "Help America Vote Act of 2002", PL 107-252,
42 U. S. C. §15301, et seq., or subsequent acts providing funds to
states to obtain, modify or improve voting equipment and obtain
necessary related services including voting systems, technology and
methods for casting and counting votes; any funds appropriated by
the Legislature or transferred by any public agency as contemplated
or permitted by applicable federal or state law; and any accrued
interest or other return thereon. The balance remaining in the
fund at the end of each fiscal year shall remain in the fund and
not revert to the state general revenue fund.
(d) Use of funds. - The money in the fund shall be used only
in the manner and for the purposes prescribed in this section.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, funds in the
county assistance voting equipment fund may not be designated or
transferred for any purpose other than those set forth in this
section.
(e) Administration of the fund. - The secretary of state shall
administer the fund with the approval of the state election
commission.
(f) Investment of fund. - The moneys of the fund shall be
invested pursuant to article six, chapter twelve of this code and
in such a manner that sufficient moneys are available as needed for
loans authorized under this section.
(g) Loans to counties. - The county assistance voting
equipment fund shall be used to make no interest loans to counties
to obtain, modify or replace voting equipment, software and
necessary related services including voting systems, technology and
methods for casting and counting votes under the following terms
and conditions:
(1) The state election commission shall, subject to
availability of funds, loan no more than fifty percent of the cost
of the voting equipment or services to any county commission:
Provided, That a portion or all of the county matching requirement
may be waived in limited circumstances as determined by the state election commission pursuant to this section.
(2) The county commission shall provide sufficient
documentation to establish to the satisfaction of the state
election commission that the county commission has at least fifty
percent of the money necessary to obtain the voting equipment,
software or services for which the loan is sought.
(3) The county commission shall enter into a contract with the
state election commission for the repayment of the loan over a
period not to exceed five years or the length of the contract to
obtain the equipment, software or services, whichever is less.
(4) The county commission shall use the loan for voting
equipment and services certified by the state election commission
pursuant to the provisions of article four-a of this chapter and
authorized for use by the secretary of state.
(5) A county commission may apply for a loan on a form
provided by the secretary of state. The form shall, in addition to
requesting information necessary for processing the application,
state the deadline for submitting the application and the
eligibility requirements for obtaining a loan.
(6) The state election commission may waive a portion or all
of the matching money required by this subsection for a county
commission that can establish that it has exercised due diligence
in raising its share of the costs but has been unable to do so. On
forms provided by the secretary of state the county commission shall request a waiver and shall make a full financial disclosure
of its assets and liabilities as well as potential for future
income when applying for a waiver. The county commission shall
demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the state election commission,
its inability to meet the matching requirements of this subsection
and its ability to repay the loan in a timely manner.
Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (3) of this
subsection, the state election commission may extend the repayment
period not more than five additional years if a waiver of matching
funds is granted.
(h) Application. - An application for a loan shall be approved
by the state election commission if the requirements of this
section have been met.
(i) Rulemaking. - The secretary of state shall propose for
promulgation emergency and legislative rules necessary to
effectuate the purposes of this section.
(j) Availability of loans. - No loan may be approved under
this section until final standards for electronic voting equipment
with a voter verified paper ballot have been established by the
secretary of state or the national institute for standards and
technology. No loan for the purchase, lease, rental or other
similar transaction to obtain electronic voting equipment, software
or necessary related services may be approved unless obtained under
a contract authorized by the secretary of state pursuant to rules promulgated under this section.
(k) Repayment of loans. - The secretary of state may, by civil
action, mandamus or other judicial or administrative proceeding,
compel performance by a county commission of all the terms and
conditions of the loan agreement between the state and that county
commission including periodic reduction of any moneys due the
county from the state.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a revolving
loan fund to maximize the funds available to counties for election
equipment, software, related technology and services.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.