June 10, 2026 · General Government Committee · 991 words · 8 speakers · 43 segments
Senate General Government Committee will now come to order. I'd like to take a minute and just welcome everyone here in person today, those of you that are watching online. Welcome. As I do with every committee meeting, we start by honoring God and country. I'll start with a prayer, we'll go to the pledge, and then we'll get down to business. If you bow your heads with me. Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you for today. Lord, we praise your holy name. We give you honor and glory and praise. Thank you, Lord, for being our king, for being sovereign, for loving each one of us. Lord, I ask for your blessing, for your wisdom, for your discernment, for the committee members as we consider everything that's been placed before us today. A blessing for everyone in this room and their families back at home. Lord, we praise you, we love you, we give you honor, glory, and praise. And it's in your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
All right, with that, would the clerk please call the roll? Chair Rovner. Here.
Vice Chair Gavron.
Here.
Senator Hoffman.
Here.
Senator Reineke.
Here.
Senator Timken.
Here.
Ranking Member Blackshear.
Present.
Senator DeMora.
You're in mind only. That counts as here All right If the committee would take a minute and look at their iPads you find the June 9th meeting minutes there Are there any additions subtractions or changes to those minutes? Seeing none, the question is, shall the minutes be agreed to? And without objection, the minutes are agreed to. All right. The only item on our agenda today is the third hearing for Substitute House Bill 472 to waive ID and birth certificate fees for homeless individuals. This was sponsored by Representative Cochley and Representative Salvo. There was a substitute bill distributed to members of the committee,
and the chair will recognize Vice Chair Gaviron with a motion.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I move we adopt substitute bill 3353-2.
Very good. The amendment is in order. Committee members will find it on their iPads. and would the vice chair care to explain the amendment?
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. The substitute bill specifies that all of the following entities will make copies of photo IDs for free when requested by a voter. The public libraries, the Secretary of State, the Board of Elections, and the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. It also specifies that copies of a photo ID or images of voters submitted as part of a ballot or request for an absentee ballot are not a public record. It clarifies that an image of the voter as opposed to a short video is sufficient when a voter submits for an absentee ballot through the portal It adds additional or modifies existing exemptions for individuals who do not need to provide a photo ID as follows. It modifies the severe disability exemption to instead cover any physical disability. It adds an exemption for electors who lack mobility, and it adds an exemption for electors who face another material obstacle as specified by the elector on their exemption affidavit.
All right, very good. Thank you for that explanation. Is there any discussion?
Object.
Object and discussion. All right, Senator Mora.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I think the ranking member will object, but this bill still, we're now adding more costs to libraries and to Board of Elections. This bill has no funding in it for what are going to be millions and millions of dollars of unfunded mandates to all of our Board of Elections that are going to have to be eaten by the county or the Board of Elections themselves. I don't understand how we can make all these people do free things now. Someone's got to pay for all these things. I mean, just look at the apps to ballot applications, the forms that are used by Board of Elections. The elections officials said that this is going to be at least several million dollars to change all these forms, but we provide not one dime in this bill to do any of this stuff. So I don't know how we can accept this substitute bill
when now we providing more burdens on libraries and Board of Elections that already are overburdened but not providing one more dime of funding for it All right Thank you Senator Blackshear I just objecting Are there any additional discussion All right. Well, we have a motion. We have an objection. So would the clerk please call the roll. The question is, shall the substitute bill be adopted? Chair Rodner? Yes. Vice Chair Gavron?
Yes.
Senator Huffman?
Yes.
Senator Reineke?
Yes.
Senator Timken?
Yes.
Ranked member Blackfear.
No.
Senator DeMora.
No.
Okay, by a vote of 5 to 2, the substitute bill is adopted. The bill is starred for a possible vote. Is there any further discussions that have not already occurred?
All right, seeing none, the chair recognizes Vice Chair Gavron with a motion.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I move to favorably report substitute House Bill 472 to the Committee on Rules and Reference.
Would the clerk please call the roll? Chair Rogner. Yes.
Vice Chair Gavron. Yes. Senator Hoffman. Yes. Senator Reineke. Yes. Senator Timken. Yes. Ranking Member Blackshear. No. Senator DeMora. Absolutely not.
All right. By a vote of 5 to 2, the substitute House Bill 427 is favorably reported to the Committee on Rules and Reference. Members, please do not forget to sign the vote sheet. Is there any additional discussion? Hearing none, this will conclude the third hearing for a substitute House Bill 472. Is there any additional business to be brought before committee? Seeing none, we are adjourned.