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Bills · 2023-2024 Regular Session

SB 736

Vetoed Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: postelection audits by the Legislative Audit Bureau and providing a penalty. (FE)

Elections Elections commission Forfeiture Legislative audit bureau Reports Respite care

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Senate, completed
  3. Passes Assembly, stopped here
  4. Governor signs, not reached
  5. Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct a performance audit

of election processes following a general election. The bill also requires the Elections

Commission to assist the counties and municipalities with the audit. Under the bill,

immediately following the state certification of the election results, the commission

randomly selects four counties and one city and one village from each of those

counties, except that one of the counties must be one of the ten most populous

counties in the state. LAB then conducts its audit in the municipalities selected by

the commission.

Under the bill, LAB may physically handle and examine all original election

materials, including ballots and absentee ballot certificates, at LAB's discretion, at

a secure site established by the municipal clerk and the commission. The bill also

requires the commission to ensure that LAB is able to conduct and complete its audit

and that the municipal clerks maintain management authority over the retention

and security of election records. Under the bill, the public is allowed to observe the

audit in observation areas established by the municipal clerk.

LAB must report any incident of noncompliance with the requirements under

the bill to the legislature. In addition, any person may commence an action in circuit

court to compel an election official or the commission to comply with those

requirements. If a court finds that an election official or the commission is

noncompliant, the official or commission is subject to a forfeiture of $500 for each day

of noncompliance. Finally, LAB must submit a report of its findings and

recommendations to the legislature no later than June 30 of the odd-numbered year

following the election.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: Tomczyk (R)

10 cosponsors

Allen (R) , Behnke (R) , Bodden (R) , Brandtjen (R) , Goeben (R) , Murphy (R) , O'Connor (R) , Rettinger (R) , Steffen (R) , Wichgers (R)

Votes

Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Jan 11, 2024 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Assembly: SHALL THE DECISION OF THE CHAIR STAND

Passed 64–35 Feb 20, 2024 official source full page

Aye · 64

Full history

  1. Nov 21, 2023 · Senate

    Introduced by Senator Tomczyk; cosponsored by Representatives Allen, Murphy, Behnke, Bodden, Brandtjen, Goeben, O'Connor, Rettinger and Wichgers

  2. Nov 21, 2023 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection

  3. Dec 12, 2023 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Dec 19, 2023 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  5. Jan 11, 2024 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  6. Jan 11, 2024 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection, Ayes 3, Noes 2

  7. Jan 11, 2024 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  8. Feb 7, 2024 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  9. Feb 9, 2024 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-13-2024 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  10. Feb 13, 2024 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. Feb 13, 2024 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  12. Feb 13, 2024 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 22, Noes 10

  13. Feb 13, 2024 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  14. Feb 13, 2024 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  15. Feb 13, 2024 · Senate

    Read a second time

  16. Feb 14, 2024 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  17. Feb 15, 2024 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-20-2024 by Committee on Rules

  18. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  19. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  20. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 offered by Representatives Snodgrass and C. Anderson

  21. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Point of order that Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 not germane under Assembly Rule 54 (3)(f) well taken

  22. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair appealed

  23. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Decision of the Chair upheld, Ayes 64, Noes 35

  24. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  25. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  26. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  27. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Representative Steffen added as a cosponsor

  28. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  29. Feb 21, 2024 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  30. Feb 27, 2024 · Senate

    LRB correction

  31. Feb 27, 2024 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  32. Mar 18, 2024 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 3-18-2024

  33. Mar 22, 2024 · Senate

    Report vetoed by the Governor on 3-21-2024

  34. May 13, 2024 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 5-14-2024 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  35. May 14, 2024 · Senate

    Rules suspended and taken up

  36. May 14, 2024 · Senate

    Passed notwithstanding the objections of the Governor, Ayes 22, Noes 9

  37. May 14, 2024 · Senate

    Messaged

  38. May 14, 2024 · Assembly

    Received from Senate passed notwithstanding the objections of the Governor

  39. May 14, 2024 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 5-15-2024 pursuant to Joint Rule 82 (2)(a)

  40. May 15, 2024 · Assembly

    Failed to pass notwithstanding the objections of the Governor pursuant to Joint Rule 82