Committee adopts substitute for election-security bill, sends measure to rules committee

The State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Committee on Feb. 7 adopted Proposed Substitute A for Senate Bill 5014, a measure concerning election security, and recommended the bill be sent to the rules committee.

Committee staff described the bill as requiring Secretary of State approval for equipment or platforms used to provide voter assistance, setting security-breach disclosure requirements for vendors and contractors who support the voter registration database and official voter list, and requiring scribe security measures for each county auditor. The staff record notes a fiscal note is available.

Senator Wilson, who moved the proposed substitute, said the substitute clarified intent language, removed duplicative Secretary of State-approval wording, and "clarifies that any system or part of a system used in the conduct of elections may be subject to secretary approval prior to use." He also referenced an implementation deadline for auditors to adopt cybersecurity measures recorded in the transcript as "07/01/1927"; committee members and staff treated that as an implementation deadline but the year is garbled in the record.

The committee voted by voice to adopt the substitute; the chair ruled the substitute had received a due-pass recommendation and ordered the bill sent to the rules committee "subject to signatures."