HCS HB 196, 411 -- INITIATIVE PETITIONS (Bray)

The substitute requires petition circulators who receive
compensation solely for circulating a petition to appear,
provide identification, and register with their local election
authority prior to circulating any petition in the state.  A
separate registration form is required for each petition a paid
circulator circulates.  The form will be provided by the
Secretary of State to each local election authority and will
require the petition name and the circulator's name, address,
affirmation of receipt of compensation or not, the name and
address of the compensating person or group, and the rate of pay
agreed upon. Petition circulators may be paid a flat hourly wage
for collecting signatures but may not be paid based on the
number of signatures obtained.   No paid circulator may
circulate more than one petition on the same date.

The election authority will verify that the circulator is a
registered voter and will forward the completed registration
form to the Secretary of State, who will keep a registry of
circulators for each petition approved for circulation.

The petitions circulated by each circulator who is compensated
for soliciting signatures will bear the words "Paid Circulator"
in 32 point type.

Volunteer petition circulators will sign, before a notary, a
petition circulator registration form which will be forwarded
along with signed petitions to the Secretary of State.

Each petition page submitted to the Secretary of State from a
paid circulator will be clearly marked "Paid Circulator." No
signatures on a petition page will be certified as valid if the
circulator has not registered or if the petition page was
circulated prior to the date the paid circulator registered.

The substitute requires the Secretary of State to destroy all
petition circulator registries following the applicable election
or following any legal challenge, whichever occurs later.

Every petition must carry a statement identifying the sponsoring
group or individual.

The substitute requires the entire text of a proposed law or an
amendment to the constitution to be printed on initiative
petitions which are circulated for signatures.  At least one
copy of the entire text of a proposed law or an amendment to the
constitution, whether initiated by petition or by the General
Assembly, will be posted by each election authority at each
polling place during the times the polls are open.

Any person may report a violation of the provisions included in
the substitute to the Ethics Commission and the commission may
investigate and take action on the complaint in the same manner
the commission disposes of complaints under the campaign
disclosure laws.   Any violation will constitute a class A
misdemeanor.

FISCAL NOTE:  Cost to General Revenue Fund of Unknown in FY 96,
0 in FY 97. & Unknown in FY 98.

HCS HB 196, 411 -- INITIATIVE PETITIONS

SPONSOR:  Gaw

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Elections
by a vote of 10 to 1.

The substitute requires petition circulators to appear, provide
identification, and register with their local election authority
prior to circulating any petition in the state.  A separate
registration form is required for each petition a circulator
circulates.  The form will be provided by the Secretary of State
to each local election authority and will require the petition
name and the circulator's name, address, affirmation of receipt
of compensation or not, the name and address of the compensating
person or group, and the rate of pay agreed upon. Petition
circulators may be paid a flat hourly wage for collecting
signatures but may not be paid based on the number of signatures
obtained.   No person may circulate more than one petition on
the same date.

The election authority will verify that the circulator is a
registered voter and will forward the completed registration
form to the Secretary of State who will keep a registry of
circulators for each petition approved for circulation.

The petitions circulated by each circulator who is compensated
for soliciting signatures will bear the words "Paid Circulator"
in 32 point type.

Each petition page submitted to the Secretary of State from a
paid circulator will be clearly marked "Paid Circulator." No
signatures on a petition page will be certified as valid if the
circulator has not registered or if the petition page was
circulated prior to the date the paid circulator registered.

The substitute requires the entire text of a proposed law or an
amendment to the constitution to be printed on initiative
petitions which are circulated for signatures.  At least one
copy of the entire text of a proposed law or an amendment to the
constitution, whether initiated by petition or by the General
Assembly, will be posted by each election authority at each
polling place during the times the polls are open.

Any person may report a violation of the provisions included in
the substitute to the Ethics Commission and the commission may
investigate and take action on the complaint in the same manner
the commission disposes of complaints under the campaign
disclosure laws.   Any violation will constitute a class A
misdemeanor.

FISCAL NOTE:  Cost to General Revenue Fund - Unknown in FY 96, 0
in FY 97, & Unknown in FY 98.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that voters have the right to be
confident that ballot issues are lawfully and rightfully before
them.  Payment per signature invites forgery, trickery, and
misleading practices.  Presenting the voter with the full text
of a ballot measure at the polls provides one last opportunity
for the voter to be informed.

Testifying for HB 196 were Representatives Morgan, McLuckie,
Kauffman, and Bray; and Wendy Noren, County Clerk, Boone
County.  Testifying for HB 411 was Representative Bray.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Anne C. Walker, Research Analyst

HB 196 -- Registration of Petition Circulators

Sponsor:  Morgan

The bill requires petition circulators to appear, provide
identification, and register with their local election authority
prior to circulating any petition in the state.  A separate
registration form is required for each petition a circulator
circulates.  The form will be provided by the Secretary of State
to each local election authority and will require the petition
name and the circulator's name, address, affirmation of receipt
of compensation or not, the name and address of the compensating
person or group, and the rate of pay agreed upon. Under this
bill petition circulators may be paid a flat hourly wage for
collecting signatures but may not be paid based on the number of
signatures obtained.  A petition circulator who receives
compensation based on the number of signatures collected is
guilty of a class A misdemeanor. No person may circulate more
than one petition on the same date.

The election authority will verify that the circulator is a
registered voter and will forward the completed registration
form to the Secretary of State who will keep a registry of
circulators for each petition approved for circulation.

Each circulator who is compensated for soliciting signatures
will at all times wear a badge, provided by the Secretary of
State to the local election authority, that identifies the
person as a "Paid Circulator."

Each petition page submitted to the Secretary of State from a
paid circulator will be clearly marked "Paid Circulator." No
signatures on a petition page will be certified as valid if the
circulator has not registered or if the petition page was
circulated prior to the date the paid circulator registered.