House Resolution 34

A RESOLUTION TO AMEND HOUSE RULES TO CREATE A NEW HOUSE RULE NO. 104C TO REQUIRE ANY COMMITTEE THAT PASSES SUFFRAGE BILLS TO POST A LIST OF FACTORS USED TO DETERMINE PASSAGE OF SUFFRAGE BILLS ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE MISSISSIPPI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That a new House Rule 104C is created to read as follows:

104C. (1) Each House committee that considers a suffrage bill shall establish and post a list of factors and/or criteria used by the committee to determine which suffrage bills will be taken up by the committee.

(2) To ensure a process that is fair and accessible, the requirements for suffrage bill passage shall be comprised only of objective factors and/or criteria, the satisfaction of which can be established by means that are not overly burdensome or costly to acquire. If an applicant satisfies the criteria, his or her suffrage bill will move forward, with no additional opportunity or requirement for inquiry.

(3) Criteria shall include the following:

(a) The person was in fact convicted of a disenfranchising crime. A list of disenfranchising offenses including the supplemental list of disenfranching crimes created by the State Attorney General's office, shall be included in the publicly-listed criteria for suffrage bills.

(b) The person has either:

(i) Completed the term and conditions of his or her sentence for the disenfranchising crime, including probation or parole; or

(ii) He or she has not been incarcerated in a state prison in the last five years.

(4) The factors and/or criteria shall be published on the official website of the Mississippi House of Representatives.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this amendment to create House Rule 104C as contained in this resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption of this resolution by the House of Representatives.