A bill to provide for language assistance for elections; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state and local governmental officers and entities; to create the language access advisory council; and to provide for remedies.
Senate Bill 403 (S-3) would enact the "Language Assistance for Elections Act" to do the following: -- Require a local government to provide language assistance for elections conducted in that local government a certain percentage of its population spoke a single shared language and had limited English proficiency. -- Require the SOS to post on its website, by January 31 of each odd-numbered year, a list of each local government required to provide language assistance, as well as the required languages, and notify each local government. -- Require the SOS to provide language assistance equal in quality to English for elections in each designated language and provide related materials in each designated language as translated by a certified translator. -- Require the SOS to reimburse a local government for certain costs related to tabulating translated ballots. -- Create the Language Advisory Council in the MDOS. -- Require a prospective plaintiff to send a notification letter to the SOS or to the clerk and chief administrative officer of the local government and meet with the SOS or representatives of the local government to prepare and agree on a written plan before an aggrieved party could commence a civil action under the Act. -- Allow any individual or entity aggrieved by a violation of language assistance requirements to file a cause of action if discussion failed. -- Allow the Attorney General to file an action in the circuit court of the county in which the local government was located to compel compliance with and seek an appropriate remedy under the Act. -- Require the MDOS to reimburse a prospective plaintiff or a local government using money from the Michigan Voting Rights Assistance Fund if that local government enacted or implemented a remedy to a potential violation of the Act. -- Grant actions brought under the Act expedited trial proceedings, allow them to receive an automatic calendar preference, and prescribe remedies and restitution for them depending on their outcomes.
Co-sponsored by Sens.
Referred to the Committee on Elections and Ethics
Reported with substitute S-3
Referred to the Committee of the Whole
Reported with substitute S-4
Substitute S-4 concurred in by voice vote
Passed in the Senate 20 to 16 (details)
Referred to the Committee on Elections
