AB817: Bill Text

LRB-5092/1

JAM:cdc

2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE

2023 Assembly BILL 817

December 8, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives Binsfeld, Moses, Michalski, Allen, Armstrong, Bodden, Dittrich, Duchow, Gundrum, Gustafson, Magnafici, Maxey, Murphy, O'Connor, Schmidt and Edming, cosponsored by Senator Knodl. Referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections.

AB817,1,2 An Act to create 36.39 of the statutes; relating to: the provision of absentee ballots to nonresident students at the University of Wisconsin System.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System to provide to all first-year students at its institutions with electronic or paper notice that includes an application to request an absentee ballot from the student's home state and accurate and clear instructions regarding how the nonresident student may complete and submit the absentee ballot to the appropriate authority in the student's home state. The board shall ensure that any voter registration or voter education partnership or contract it enters into results in the provision of absentee ballot information to nonresident students. Under the bill, the board is also required to develop and implement policies that ensure compliance with the bill's provisions, and to biennially review the policies for effectiveness and relevance. The board is required to submit an annual report to the legislature detailing the implementation of the provisions of the bill.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB817,1 Section 1 . 36.39 of the statutes is created to read:

AB817,2,3 36.39 Nonresident student absentee ballots. (1) Definition. In this section, “nonresident student” means a student who is not a resident of the state as determined under s. 36.27.

AB817,2,6 (2) Nonresident student absentee ballots. (a) The board shall ensure that a nonresident student receives during the student's first-year student orientation an electronic or paper notice that includes all of the following:

AB817,2,7 1. An application to request an absentee ballot from the student's home state.

AB817,2,10 2. Accurate, up-to-date, easily-understandable, and clear instructions regarding how the nonresident student may complete and submit the absentee ballot to the appropriate authority in the student's home state.

AB817,2,16 (b) The board shall ensure that any voter registration or voter education partnership or contract between the board and a private entity or between an institution and a private entity results in the provision of absentee ballot information to nonresident students. Any such contracts entered into, modified, or renewed on or after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], shall clearly note the requirement of providing absentee ballot information to nonresident students.

AB817,2,19 (c) The board shall develop and implement policies that ensure compliance with this section and biennially review and update the policies for effectiveness and relevance.

AB817,2,21 (d) The board may contract with a 3rd-party for the provision of the notice required under par. (a).

AB817,3,2 (e) Beginning one year after the effective date of this paragraph .... [LRB inserts date], and annually thereafter, the board shall submit to the governor and to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) a report detailing the previous year's implementation of this section, perceived challenges to implementing this section, and number of nonresidents students that were provided with absentee ballots as required under par. (a).

AB817,3,3 (End)