SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A San Jose lawmaker proposed a bill requiring 18-year-olds to register to vote in order to get a high school diploma, NBC11's Mike Luery reported.

"Just like the draft, we should all be required to register to vote," said one student who spoke to NBC11.

According to the legislation (AB 183), "the bill would make the pupil responsible for registering to vote and require the pupil to submit proof of registration to the school registrar or other appropriate school official."

"Just because we're registered to vote doesn't mean we're actually going to vote," argued another student.

The bill's author, San Jose Assemblyman Joe Coto, said the main focus of the bill is to increase the number of young people who are registered to vote.

"Upwards of 40 percent of young people are not registered to vote," Coto said.

The bill would require school districts to verify that students have registered before they can graduate.

"I read the bill and it says the state will assign more money to deal with this, but I think if we have that money to give to schools, there's a better place for it to go," said high school junior Stephana Simonetto.

"The school can't even keep track of the dress code, so how are they going to figure out who's registered to vote?" said one student who spoke to NBC11.

Although students could opt out by signing a waiver, many wonder if the bill is force-feeding democracy, Luery reported.

The diploma bill faces committee hearings In April. If passed, it would affect students graduating in the spring of 2010.