Restoring Important Voter Eligibility Requirements to States Act of 2013

Summary: Restoring Important Voter Eligibility Requirements to States Act of 2013 - Amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require an applicant for voter registration for federal elections to state affirmatively in the application form provided along with an application for a motor vehicle driver's license (as well as in other voter registration forms) that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in such elections as a condition of the application's acceptance. Requires all such forms to include a statement specifying the penalty for perjury in an application for voter registration. Prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in federal elections unless they verify that the information provided in the individual's application is correct. Requires the head of an office of the federal government, upon request, to enter into an agreement with the chief state election official to enable the official to verify the eligibility of such an applicant.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Restoring Important Voter 
Eligibility Requirements to States Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Congress enacted the National Voter Registration Act of 
        1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.) to promote the rights of 
        citizens of the United States to exercise the fundamental right 
        to vote, as set forth in the findings of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1973gg(a)).
            (2) While the purposes of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg(b)) 
        include increasing voter registration and voter participation 
        in elections for Federal office, the language does not refer to 
        individuals in general but refers exclusively to ``eligible 
        citizens of the United States''.
            (3) An additional purpose of such Act is to ``protect the 
        integrity of the electoral process'' (42 U.S.C. 1973gg(b)(3)).
            (4) Individuals who do not meet the eligibility 
        requirements for voting in elections for Federal office, 
        including individuals who are not citizens of the United 
        States, have been permitted to register to vote in such 
        elections and are presumably casting ballots in such elections.
            (5) The participation of ineligible voters in elections for 
        Federal office is in direct conflict with the intent of 
        Congress in enacting the National Voter Registration Act of 
        1993 and with the purpose of such Act.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to ensure that the 
procedures for registering individuals to vote in elections for Federal 
office are consistent with the purposes of the National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993.

SEC. 3. EXPANDED REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTENTS OF VOTER REGISTRATION 
              APPLICATION FORMS.

    (a) Requiring Affirmative Statement That Applicant Meets 
Eligibility Requirements as Condition of Acceptance.--
            (1) Forms provided with application for motor vehicle 
        driver's license.--Section 5(c)(2)(C)(ii) of the National Voter 
        Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-3(c)(2)(C)(ii)) is 
        amended to read as follows:
                    ``(ii) the applicant must state affirmatively that 
                the applicant meets each such requirement as a 
                condition of the acceptance of the application; and''.
            (2) Forms provided by other voter registration agencies.--
        Section 7(a)(6)(A)(i)(II) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-
        5(a)(6)(A)(i)(II)) is amended to read as follows:
                            ``(II) the applicant must state 
                        affirmatively that the applicant meets each 
                        such requirement as a condition of the 
                        acceptance of the application; and''.
            (3) Mail registration forms.--Section 303(b)(4)(A) of the 
        Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(b)(4)(A)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (iii) the following 
                new clause:
                            ``(iv) The statement `If you do not check 
                        ``yes'' in response to both of these questions, 
                        your application will not be accepted.'.''.
    (b) Inclusion of Statement Specifying Penalty for Perjury.--
            (1) Forms provided with application for motor vehicle 
        driver's license.--Section 5(c)(2)(D) of the National Voter 
        Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-3(c)(2)(D)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (ii); 
                and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                    ``(iv) a statement that an applicant who knowingly 
                provides false information in the application commits 
                perjury, as well as a description of the specific fine 
                and term of imprisonment that may be imposed on an 
                applicant who commits perjury by providing such false 
                information; and''.
            (2) Forms provided by other voter registration agencies.--
        Section 7(a)(6)(A)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-
        5(a)(6)(A)(i)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subclause 
                (II);
                    (B) by striking ``or'' at the end of subclause 
                (III) and inserting ``and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subclause:
                            ``(IV) describes how an applicant who 
                        knowingly provides false information in the 
                        application commits perjury, as well as a 
                        description of the specific fine and term of 
                        imprisonment that may be imposed on an 
                        applicant who commits perjury by providing such 
                        false information; or''.
            (3) Mail registration forms.--Section 303(b)(4)(A) of the 
        Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 15483(b)(4)(A)), as 
        amended by subsection (a)(3), is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating clause (v) as clause (vi); and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (iv) the following 
                new clause:
                            ``(v) A statement informing the individual 
                        that an individual who knowingly provides a 
                        false answer to either of these questions 
                        commits perjury, as well as a description of 
                        the specific fine and term of imprisonment that 
                        may be imposed on an individual who commits 
                        perjury by providing such a false answer.''.
            (4) Rule of construction.--Nothing in the amendments made 
        by this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the Election 
        Assistance Commission or any State or local election official 
        from including on a voter registration form any information 
        regarding any of the sanctions that may be imposed upon an 
        individual as a result of information the individual provides 
        on the form.

SEC. 4. VERIFICATION OF INFORMATION PROVIDED BY APPLICANTS FOR VOTER 
              REGISTRATION.

    (a) Requiring States To Verify Information.--Section 8 of the 
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-6) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (j) as subsection (k); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(j) Verification of Information Provided by Applicants.--
            ``(1) Verification required.--A State may not register an 
        individual to vote in elections for Federal office in the 
        State, including an individual who submits the mail voter 
        registration application form prescribed by the Election 
        Assistance Commission pursuant to section 9(a)(2), unless the 
        State verifies that the information provided by the individual 
        in the individual's application for voter registration is 
        correct.
            ``(2) Methods of verification.--For purposes of paragraph 
        (1), a State may verify the information provided by an 
        applicant for voter registration through such methods as the 
        State considers appropriate, including requiring the applicant 
        to provide (at the time of submitting a voter registration 
        application with an application for a motor vehicle driver's 
        license under section 5 or at the time of submitting any other 
        application form under this Act) documentary evidence that the 
        applicant meets the eligibility requirements for voting in 
        elections for Federal office in the State, including the 
        requirement that the applicant is a United States citizen.''.
    (b) Requiring Federal Officials To Provide Information.--
            (1) In general.--Section 9 of the National Voter 
        Registration Act (42 U.S.C. 1973gg-7) is amended by adding at 
        the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Assisting Election Officials With Verification of Applicant 
Information.--
            ``(1) Requiring agreements upon request.--At the request of 
        the chief State election official, the head of an office of the 
        Federal government shall enter into an agreement with the 
        official for the purpose of enabling the official to verify 
        information regarding the eligibility of an applicant for voter 
        registration in the State to vote in elections for Federal 
        office in the State.
            ``(2) Deadline for entering into agreement.--The head of an 
        office of the Federal government who receives a request from a 
        chief State election official to enter into an agreement under 
        paragraph (1) shall enter into such an agreement with the 
        official not later than 30 days after receiving the request.
            ``(3) No effect on other requirements.--Nothing in 
        paragraph (1) shall be construed to affect the requirements of 
        section 8(g) (relating to information provided by a United 
        States attorney regarding offenders) or section 205(r) of the 
        Social Security Act (relating to agreements with the 
        Commissioner of Social Security for the purpose of verifying 
        certain information).''.
            (2) Clarification of information provided by commissioner 
        of social security under existing authority.--Section 
        205(r)(8)(D)(i)(I) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        405(r)(8)(D)(i)(I)) is amended by striking ``the date of 
        birth'' and inserting ``the location and date of birth''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
elections occurring after the expiration of the 1-year period which 
begins on the date of the enactment of this Act.