AN ACT ELIMINATING REGIONAL ELECTION MONITORS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 9-229 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2018):

(b) (1) The Secretary of the State shall: (A) Request registrars of voters to volunteer to serve as instructors for moderators and alternate moderators; (B) select registrars from among such volunteers to serve as such instructors; (C) establish a curriculum for instructional sessions for moderators and alternate moderators; (D) establish the number of such instructional sessions to be held, provided at least one such instructional session shall be held in each congressional district in each calendar year; and (E) train the instructors for such sessions. The curriculum for such instructional sessions shall include, without limitation, procedures for counting and recording absentee ballots, "hands on" training in the use of voting tabulators, and the duties of a moderator in the conduct of a primary and election. The Secretary may employ assistants on a temporary basis within existing budgetary resources for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this section. Such assistants shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter 67. The instructors shall conduct instructional sessions for moderators and alternate moderators in accordance with their training by the Secretary of the State and the curriculum for such sessions.

[(2) The Secretary of the State shall also: (A) Coordinate with each regional election monitor under contract pursuant to section 9-229b to hold regional instructional sessions for moderators and alternate moderators, in accordance with the curriculum established under subdivision (1) of this subsection; (B) establish the number of such regional instructional sessions to be held, provided at least one such regional instructional session shall be held within each planning region at the facilities of the regional council of governments prior to each regular election; and (C) train and certify each regional election monitor for purposes of performing the duties of the position. The Secretary shall certify as a regional election monitor each individual who successfully completes training under subparagraph (C) of this subdivision, except the Secretary shall not so certify any individual who has been convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, in a court of competent jurisdiction, any (i) felony involving fraud, forgery, larceny, embezzlement or bribery, or (ii) criminal offense under this title. Any such initial certification granted under this subdivision shall expire two years after the date of its granting. Prior to expiration of the initial or any subsequent certification, a regional election monitor may undergo an abridged recertification process prescribed by the Secretary, and upon successful completion thereof, such certification shall be renewed for two years after the date of such completion. Only certification in accordance with this subdivision shall satisfy the requirement of subdivision (4) of subsection (b) of section 9-229b, and the Secretary may revoke any such certification, with or without cause, at any time.

(3) The duties of each regional election monitor shall include, but not be limited to: (A) Holding the regional instructional sessions described in subdivision (2) of this subsection; (B) communicating with registrars of voters to assist, to the extent permitted under law, in preparations for and operations of any election, primary or recanvass, or any audit conducted pursuant to section 9-320f; and (C) transmitting any order issued by the Secretary of the State, pursuant to subsection (b) of section 9-3.]

[(4)] (2) Any elector may attend one or more of the sessions held under subdivision (1) [or (2)] of this subsection. Each instructor [or regional election monitor, as the case may be,] shall provide the Secretary of the State with the name and address of each person who completes any such session.

Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 8-31b of the 2018 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2018):

(b) A regional council of governments may accept or participate in any grant, donation or program available to any political subdivision of the state and may also accept or participate in any grant, donation or program made available to counties by any other governmental or private entity. Notwithstanding the provisions of any special or public act, any political subdivision of the state may enter into an agreement with a regional council of governments to perform jointly or to provide, alone or in cooperation with any other entity, any service, activity or undertaking that the political subdivision is authorized by law to perform. A regional council of governments established pursuant to this section may administer and provide regional services to municipalities and may delegate such authority to subregional groups of such municipalities. Regional services provided to member municipalities shall be determined by each regional council of governments [, except as provided in subsection (b) of section 9-229 and section 9-229b,] and may include, without limitation, the following services: (1) Engineering; (2) inspectional and planning; (3) economic development; (4) public safety; (5) emergency management; (6) animal control; (7) land use management; (8) tourism promotion; (9) social; (10) health; (11) education; (12) data management; (13) regional sewerage; (14) housing; (15) computerized mapping; (16) household hazardous waste collection; (17) recycling; (18) public facility siting; (19) coordination of master planning; (20) vocational training and development; (21) solid waste disposal; (22) fire protection; (23) regional resource protection; (24) regional impact studies; and (25) transportation.

Sec. 3. Section 9-229b of the general statutes is repealed. (Effective July 1, 2018)

Statement of Purpose:

To eliminate in each planning region the position and duties of regional election monitor.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]