Assigned
to ELEC AS
PASSED BY COW
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
legislative council; procedures manual
(NOW: joint legislative audit committee; procedures manual)
Purpose
Requires the Secretary of State's official instructions and procedures manual (EPM) to be submitted to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC), in addition to the Governor and Attorney General, for review and approval prior to issuance.
Background
The Secretary of State must create an EPM on the procedures for early voting and voting, and of producing, distributing, collecting, counting, tabulating and storing ballots. The EPM must be issued no later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year immediately preceding the general election. The EPM 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).
JLAC is a statutory committee that consists of five members of the Senate who are appointed by the President of the Senate and five members of the House of Representative who are appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. A member of each chamber's Appropriations Committee must sit on JLAC. JLAC must: 1) oversee all audit functions of the Legislature and state agencies; 2) appoint an Auditor General subject to approval by a concurrent resolution of the Legislature; 3) have the power of legislative subpoena; 4) require state agencies to comply with findings and directions of JLAC; and 5) perform all functions required by statute relating to the sunset review of state agencies (A.R.S. § 41-1279).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires the EPM to be approved by JLAC, in addition to the Governor and Attorney General, before issuance.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
• Adopted the strike-everything amendment.
Senate Action
ELEC 2/13/23 DPA/SE 5-3-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 22, 2023
AN/CS/slp