summary
Introduced
06/23/2017
06/23/2017
In Committee
07/14/2017
07/14/2017
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
12/31/2018
12/31/2018
Introduced Session
115th Congress
Bill Summary
Voter Empowerment Act of 2017 Voter Registration Modernization Act of 2017 This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require states to make available online voter registration. The federal criminal code is amended to prohibit hindering, interfering with, or preventing voter registration. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 is amended to require states to promote access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must support pilot programs enabling individuals with disabilities to register and vote at their residences. The bill reauthorizes support for state and local governments to ensure voting access for individuals with disabilities. States must notify individuals convicted of a criminal offense under state law, upon release or upon sentence to probation, of their right to vote in federal elections. Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2017 This bill revises auditing requirements for voting systems. Voting systems must use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots. The National Science Foundation must support the study and development of accessible ballot voting and best practices to enhance the accessibility of voting for certain individuals. With exceptions, states must audit federal election results. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act is amended to extend the guarantee of voting residency to family members of absent military personnel. The EAC must support poll-worker recruitment and training and develop materials for a model program. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 is amended to prohibit a chief state election administration official, unless the official or a family member is a candidate, from taking part in political management or in a political campaign for federal office over which the official has supervisory authority. The EAC is reauthorized and its exemption from certain contracting requirements is repealed.
AI Summary
This bill, the Voter Empowerment Act of 2017, contains several key provisions:
- It requires states to make online voter registration available and prohibits interfering with voter registration. It also promotes access to voter registration and voting for individuals with disabilities, including requiring states to designate a single office to provide information on registration and absentee ballot procedures.
- It establishes pilot programs to enable individuals with disabilities to register and vote privately and independently at their residences, and expands and reauthorizes grant programs to assure voting access for individuals with disabilities.
- It prohibits voter caging and other questionable challenges to voter eligibility, and prohibits deceptive practices in federal elections, increasing penalties for voter intimidation.
- It restores the right to vote in federal elections for citizens convicted of criminal offenses, except those currently serving a felony sentence. It requires notification to such individuals upon release or sentencing to probation.
- It mandates the use of voter-verified paper ballots that can be manually audited, and requires post-election audits to verify the accuracy of results. It also revises auditing requirements for voting systems.
- It promotes early voting and the ability of voters to cast ballots by mail, and makes various other improvements to election administration and enforcement of voting rights laws.
Committee Categories
Government Affairs, Justice
Sponsors (187)
John Lewis (D)*,
Alma Adams (D),
Pete Aguilar (D),
Nanette Barragán (D),
Karen Bass (D),
Joyce Beatty (D),
Ami Bera (D),
Don Beyer (D),
Sanford Bishop (D),
Earl Blumenauer (D),
Lisa Blunt Rochester (D),
Suzanne Bonamici (D),
Madeleine Bordallo (D),
Brendan Boyle (D),
Robert Brady (D),
Anthony Brown (D),
Julia Brownley (D),
Cheri Bustos (D),
G. Butterfield (D),
Michael Capuano (D),
Salud Carbajal (D),
Tony Cárdenas (D),
André Carson (D),
Matt Cartwright (D),
Kathy Castor (D),
Joaquin Castro (D),
Judy Chu (D),
David Cicilline (D),
Katherine Clark (D),
Yvette Clarke (D),
Lacy Clay (D),
Emanuel Cleaver (D),
Jim Clyburn (D),
Steve Cohen (D),
Gerry Connolly (D),
John Conyers (D),
Lou Correa (D),
Jim Costa (D),
Joe Courtney (D),
Charlie Crist (D),
Joseph Crowley (WFP),
Elijah Cummings (D),
Danny Davis (D),
Susan Davis (D),
Peter DeFazio (D),
Diana DeGette (D),
John Delaney (D),
Rosa DeLauro (D),
Val Demings (D),
Mark DeSaulnier (D),
Theodore Deutch (D),
Debbie Dingell (D),
Michael Doyle (D),
Keith Ellison (D),
Eliot Engel (D),
Anna Eshoo (D),
Adriano Espaillat (D),
Elizabeth Esty (D),
Dwight Evans (D),
Bill Foster (D),
Lois Frankel (D),
Marcia Fudge (D),
Tulsi Gabbard (D),
Ruben Gallego (D),
John Garamendi (D),
Jimmy Gomez (D),
Vicente Gonzalez (D),
Al Green (D),
Gene Green (D),
Raúl Grijalva (D),
Luis Gutiérrez (D),
Colleen Hanabusa (D),
Alcee Hastings (D),
Denny Heck (D),
Brian Higgins (D),
Jim Himes (D),
Steny Hoyer (D),
Jared Huffman (D),
Sheila Jackson-Lee (D),
Pramila Jayapal (D),
Hakeem Jeffries (D),
Eddie Johnson (D),
Hank Johnson (D),
Marcy Kaptur (D),
Bill Keating (D),
Robin Kelly (D),
Joseph Kennedy (D),
Ro Khanna (D),
Ruben Kihuen (D),
Dan Kildee (D),
Derek Kilmer (D),
Ron Kind (D),
Raja Krishnamoorthi (D),
Ann Kuster (D),
Conor Lamb (D),
James Langevin (D),
Rick Larsen (D),
John Larson (D),
Brenda Lawrence (D),
Al Lawson (D),
Barbara Lee (D),
Sander Levin (D),
Ted Lieu (D),
David Loebsack (D),
Zoe Lofgren (D),
Alan Lowenthal (D),
Nita Lowey (D),
Ben Ray Luján (D),
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D),
Stephen Lynch (D),
Carolyn Maloney (D),
Sean Maloney (D),
Doris Matsui (D),
Betty McCollum (D),
Donald McEachin (D),
Jim McGovern (D),
Jerry McNerney (D),
Gregory Meeks (D),
Grace Meng (D),
Gwen Moore (D),
Joe Morelle (D),
Seth Moulton (D),
Jerry Nadler (D),
Grace Napolitano (D),
Richard Neal (D),
Richard Nolan (D),
Donald Norcross (D),
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D),
Tom O'Halleran (D),
Beto O'Rourke (D),
Frank Pallone (D),
Jimmy Panetta (D),
Bill Pascrell (D),
Donald Payne (D),
Nancy Pelosi (D),
Ed Perlmutter (D),
Scott Peters (D),
Chellie Pingree (D),
Stacey Plaskett (D),
Mark Pocan (D),
Jared Polis (D),
David Price (D),
Mike Quigley (D),
Jamie Raskin (D),
Kathleen Rice (D),
Cedric Richmond (D),
Jacky Rosen (D),
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D),
Dutch Ruppersberger (D),
Bobby Rush (D),
Tim Ryan (D),
Kilili Sablan (D),
Linda Sánchez (D),
John Sarbanes (D),
Mary Gay Scanlon (D),
Jan Schakowsky (D),
Adam Schiff (D),
Brad Schneider (D),
Kurt Schrader (D),
Bobby Scott (D),
David Scott (D),
José Serrano (D),
Terri Sewell (D),
Carol Shea-Porter (D),
Brad Sherman (D),
Albio Sires (D),
Louise Slaughter (D),
Adam Smith (D),
Darren Soto (D),
Jackie Speier (D),
Tom Suozzi (D),
Eric Swalwell (D),
Mark Takano (D),
Bennie Thompson (D),
Mike Thompson (D),
Dina Titus (D),
Paul Tonko (D),
Juan Vargas (D),
Marc Veasey (D),
Filemón Vela (D),
Nydia Velázquez (D),
Peter Visclosky (D),
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D),
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D),
Peter Welch (D),
Frederica Wilson (D),
John Yarmuth (D),
Last Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. (on 07/14/2017)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/12/all-info |
| BillText | https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr12/BILLS-115hr12ih.pdf |
| Bill | https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr12/BILLS-115hr12ih.pdf.pdf |
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