Adopted

AMENDMENT NO 1 PROPOSED TO

Senate Bill No. 2829

BY: Senator(s) Ross

     AMEND by placing the following after line 324 and renumbering subsequent sections accordingly:

     SECTION *.  Section 23-15-169.3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     23-15-169.3.  (1)  The Secretary of State shall have the authority to accept federal funds authorized under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and to meet all the requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 in order to expend the funds.

     (2)  Counties that purchase voting systems that comply with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 including, but not limited to, counties that purchase such systems prior to July 12, 2004, shall be eligible for federal funds accepted by the Secretary of State for Help America Vote Act of 2002 compliance efforts.  The only restriction that the Secretary of State may place on the expenditure of federal funds for the purchase of voting systems is that the systems comply with the criteria established in the Help America Vote Act of 2002 for voting systems.

     FURTHER, AMEND line 26 of the title by placing the following after the semicolon:

TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-169.3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THE ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL FUNDS ACCEPTED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT COMPLIANCE EFFORTS OF COUNTIES THAT PURCHASE CERTAIN VOTING SYSTEMS;