House bill NO. 754

INTRODUCED BY L. Hellegaard, N. Duram, B. Phalen, B. Mitchell, J. Schillinger, L. Deming, N. Hastings

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING MOTOR VEHICLE RECORDS LAWS TO DISCLOSE CERTAIN PERSONAL INFORMATION TO A LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS OFFICIAL TO VERIFY VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION; AMENDING SECTION 61-11-508, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Section 61-11-508, MCA, is amended to read:

"61-11-508. Permitted disclosure of personal information -- specific uses. (1) Upon application, proof of the identity of the person requesting a record, and payment of fees required in 61-11-510, the department may disclose personal information, including highly restricted personal information, from a motor vehicle record to:

(a)        the person who is the subject of the motor vehicle record; or

(b)        a person who represents that the use of the information will be strictly limited to one or more of the following:

(i)         a federal, state, or local government agency, including a court or a law enforcement agency, and any individual acting on behalf of the agency in carrying out its functions, including county government elections officials verifying voter registration information and representatives of the news media for a legitimate law enforcement purpose, as determined by the department; or

(ii)         a person, organization, or entity, upon the express consent of the person to whom the information pertains.

(2)        The department shall may not disclose a social security number unless:

(a)        for the purposes of subtitle VI of Title 49 of the U.S.C.;

(b)        to the department of public health and human services for use in administering Title IV-D of the Social Security Act; or

(c)        the release of the social security number is specifically authorized by law, but only the final four numbers of a social security number may be released to county government election officials verifying voter registration information."

Section 2.  Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.