Staff presented Senate Bill 5,077 at the Feb. 14 State Government & Tribal Relations Committee hearing, explaining the measure would broaden automatic voter registration (AVR) and automatic update pathways and give the governor a role in designating agencies that may implement them.

Connor Schiff, committee staff, said Washington already provides AVR through the Department of Licensing for eligible applicants for enhanced driver licenses or enhanced IDs and through designated state agencies that collect citizenship verification for public assistance. SB 5,077 would require the governor, in consultation with the Secretary of State’s office, to decide whether additional agencies that collect and store specified voter-identifying data (names, addresses, dates of birth, signatures, and citizenship verification via Social Security data match) may implement AVR. The governor also would decide whether agencies holding name, address and date-of-birth data may provide automatic updates to existing registrations.

The bill directs the Secretary of State’s office to implement AVR for applicants to the Health Benefit Exchange’s Washington Healthplanfinder marketplace if citizenship is reliably verified via an electronic match; implementation would be contingent on federal approval if required by CMS. The Healthplanfinder must notify applicants and allow an opt-out before information is shared. The bill also allows the Secretary of State to approve APIs so government agencies, institutions of higher education or third-party organizations can submit voter-registration applications online, provided such entities receive approval from the Secretary of State.

Senator Javier Valdez, the prime sponsor, said the measure aims to keep Washington at the forefront of registration access and stressed safeguards for compliance with state and federal law. Representatives raised questions about definitions of "third-party organizations" and the meaning of "residents" versus "citizens" in testimony; Valdez said the bill is intended to register eligible voters and that language around third parties could be refined.

The committee opened the hearing but deferred public testimony and further executive consideration until the bill is relisted next week; staff said witnesses who signed in would need to sign in again when the hearing is re-scheduled.