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ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session

 

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1068

 

elections manual; legislative council; GRRC

Purpose

Requires the Secretary of State's official instructions and procedures manual (elections procedures manual) to be submitted to the Legislative Council and the Governor's Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) for review and approval prior to issuance.

Background

            The Secretary of State must create an elections procedures manual on the procedures for early voting and voting, and of producing, distributing, collecting, counting, tabulating and storing ballots. The elections procedures manual must be issued no later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year immediately preceding the general election. The elections procedures manual must be approved by the Governor and Attorney General prior to issuance by October 1 of the year before each general election (A.R.S. § 16-452).

            The Legislative Council is a statutory committee that consists of the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and six members from each legislative chamber (A.R.S. § 41-1301). GRRC consists of six members appointed by the Governor and is overseen by the Director of the Department of Administration or the Assistant Director of the Department of Administration (A.R.S. § 41-1051). An agency must submit a proposed rule to GRRC, along with the rule's preamble and its economic, small business and consumer impact statement, for approval before filing a final rule change with the Secretary of State (A.R.S. § 41-1052).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.   Requires the elections procedures manual to be approved by Legislative Council and GRRC, rather than the Governor and Attorney General, before issuance.

2.   Exempts the Secretary of State's elections procedures manual from the process that allows a person to object to a rule.

3.   Makes technical and conforming changes.

4.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

January 28, 2021

MH/ML/gs