THE BILL ITSELF
HB 73
Restoration of Rights Voting Database
1
A bill to be entitled
2
An act relating to restoration of voting rights
3
database; amending s. 20.32, F.S.; requiring the
4
Florida Commission on Offender Review to develop and
5
maintain a database containing certain information for
6
a certain purpose; requiring certain governmental
7
entities to provide certain information to the
8
commission on a monthly basis; requiring the
9
Department of Management Services, acting through the
10
Florida Digital Service, to provide certain technical
11
assistance to the commission; authorizing the
12
department to adopt rules; requiring the commission to
13
make available to the public the database on an
14
Internet website by a date certain; requiring the
15
commission to update the database monthly and publish
16
certain information on the website; requiring the
17
commission to provide to the Governor and Legislature
18
a comprehensive plan by a date certain; providing
19
requirements for the comprehensive plan; providing
20
that a person who takes certain actions in reasonable
21
reliance on the database may not be charged with
22
certain violations of criminal law; requiring the
23
commission to adopt rules; providing an effective
24
date.
26
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 20.32,
29
Florida Statutes, to read:
30
20.32 Florida Commission on Offender Review.—
31
(4)(a) For the purpose of assisting a person who has been
32
disqualified from voting based on a felony conviction other than
33
murder or a felony sexual offense in determining whether he or
34
she has met the requirements under s. 98.0751 and had his or her
35
voting rights restored pursuant to s. 4, Art. VI of the State
36
Constitution, the commission shall develop and maintain a
37
database that contains for each such person all of the following
38
information:
39
1. His or her name and any other personal identifying
40
information.
41
2. The remaining length of any term of supervision,
42
including, but not limited to, probation, community control, or
43
parole, ordered by a court as a part of his or her sentence.
44
3. The remaining amount of any restitution owed to a
45
victim as ordered by a court as a part of his or her sentence.
46
4. The remaining amount due of any fines or fees that were
47
initially ordered by a court as a part of his or her sentence or
48
as a condition of any form of supervision, including, but not
49
limited to, probation, community control, or parole.
50
5. The completion status of any other term ordered by a
51
court as a part of his or her sentence.
52
6. Any other information needed to determine whether he or
53
she has met the requirements for restoration of voting rights
54
under s. 98.0751.
55
(b) Each month, the Department of State, the Department of
56
Corrections, the clerks of the circuit courts, the county
57
comptrollers, and the Board of Executive Clemency shall provide
58
to the commission any information held by such governmental
59
entity which is required under paragraph (a).
60
(c) The Department of Management Services, acting through
61
the Florida Digital Service, shall provide any technical
62
assistance necessary for the commission to develop and maintain
63
the database. The Department of Management Services may adopt
64
rules to provide such assistance.
65
(d) By July 1, 2029, the commission shall make available
66
to the public the database on an Internet website. The
67
commission must update the database monthly with the information
68
received under paragraph (b). The commission shall publish on
69
the website clear instructions that a person who has been
70
disqualified from voting based on a felony conviction other than
71
murder or a felony sexual offense may follow to have his or her
72
voting rights restored and to register to vote.
73
(e) By July 1, 2027, the commission shall provide to the
74
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the
75
House of Representatives a comprehensive plan that includes the
76
following:
77
1. The governmental entities from which and the methods by
78
which the commission shall collect, centralize, analyze, and
79
secure the information required to be included in the database.
80
2. A description of any infrastructure and services,
81
including, but not limited to, software, hardware, and
82
information technology services, that may be necessary to create
83
and maintain the database.
84
3. The anticipated number of additional employees
85
necessary for:
86
a. The commission to develop and maintain the database.
87
b. A governmental entity to provide the information
88
required under paragraph (b).
89
c. The Florida Digital Service to provide the assistance
90
required under paragraph (c).
91
4. The anticipated cost to initially develop the database,
92
annual cost to maintain the database, and annual appropriation
93
required to fund the anticipated costs of the commission, each
94
governmental entity, and the Florida Digital Service.
95
5. Any legal authority necessary for the commission to
96
develop and maintain the database.
97
6. Prepare proposed legislation to implement the
98
comprehensive plan.
99
(f) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a person who
100
registers to vote or who votes in reasonable reliance on
101
information contained in the database indicating that his or her
102
voting rights have been restored pursuant to s. 4, Art. VI of
103
the State Constitution has an affirmative right to register and
104
to vote and may not be charged with a violation of any criminal
105
law of this state relating to fraudulently voting or registering
106
to vote.
107
(g) The commission shall adopt rules to implement this
108
subsection.
109
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.