Automatic Voter Registration Act

Summary: Automatic Voter Registration Act This bill amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require state motor vehicle authorities (MVAs), upon receiving certain identifying information with respect to any individual requesting MVA services, to transmit it to the appropriate state election official. The appropriate state election official shall then notify the individual that unless he or she notifies the official, before 21 calendar days elapse after issuance of the notification, that the individual declines to be registered to vote in federal elections in the state, the individual shall be considered to have submitted a completed voter registration application and be considered automatically registered unless:  the official determines that the individual does not meet voter registration eligibility requirements, or the individual is already registered to vote.  A state may not use any identifying information regarding an individual's citizenship status for any purpose other than determining whether the individual is eligible to vote in federal elections. &nbsp;

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Automatic Voter Registration Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH STATE MOTOR VEHICLE 
              AUTHORITIES.

    (a) Automatic Voter Registration.--Section 5 of the National Voter 
Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20504) is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 5. AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION THROUGH MOTOR VEHICLE AUTHORITY.

    ``(a) Transmission of Information to Election Officials.--
            ``(1) Transmission.--Each State's motor vehicle authority, 
        upon receiving the identifying information described in 
        paragraph (2) with respect to any individual who requests 
        services from the authority, shall transmit the identifying 
        information to the appropriate State election official.
            ``(2) Identifying information described.--The identifying 
        information described in this paragraph with respect to any 
        individual is as follows:
                    ``(A) The individual's legal name.
                    ``(B) The individual's age.
                    ``(C) The individual's residence.
                    ``(D) The individual's citizenship status.
                    ``(E) The individual's electronic signature.
            ``(3) Restriction on use of information on citizenship 
        status.--A State may not use any identifying information 
        regarding an individual's citizenship status which is 
        transmitted under this subsection for any purpose other than 
        determining whether the individual is eligible to vote in 
        elections for Federal office.
    ``(b) Notification to Individuals.--Upon receiving the identifying 
information with respect to an individual under subsection (a), the 
appropriate State election official shall issue a notification to the 
individual containing--
            ``(1) a statement that, unless the individual notifies the 
        election official prior to the expiration of the 21-calendar 
        day period which begins on the date the official issued the 
        notification that the individual declines to be registered to 
        vote in elections for Federal office held in the State, the 
        individual shall be considered to have completed and submitted 
        a voter registration application for purposes of this Act; and
            ``(2) a description of the process by which the individual 
        may decline to be registered to vote in elections for Federal 
        office in the State.
    ``(c) Automatic Registration of Eligible Individuals.--Upon the 
expiration of the 21-calendar day period which begins on the date the 
appropriate State election official issues a notification to an 
individual under subsection (b)(1), the official shall ensure that the 
individual is registered to vote in elections for Federal office held 
in the State unless--
            ``(1) the official determines that the individual does not 
        meet the eligibility requirements for registering to vote in 
        such elections;
            ``(2) prior to the expiration of such 21-calendar day 
        period, the individual notifies the official that the 
        individual declines to be registered to vote in such elections; 
        or
            ``(3) the individual is already registered to vote in such 
        elections.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment Relating to Timing of Registration Prior 
to Elections.--Section 8(a)(1)(A) of such Act (52 U.S.C. 
20507(a)(1)(A)) is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(A) in the case of registration through a motor 
                vehicle authority under section 5, if the identifying 
                information with respect to the individual is 
                transmitted by the authority to the appropriate State 
                election official under section 5(a)(1) not later than 
                the lesser of 30 days, or the period provided by State 
                law, before the date of the election;''.
    (c) Other Conforming Amendment.--Section 4(a)(1) of such Act (52 
U.S.C. 20503(a)(1)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) through the State motor vehicle authority pursuant to 
        section 5;''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect upon the expiration of the 180-day period which begins on the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Timing of Automatic Registration of Individuals Providing 
Identifying Information to Motor Vehicle Authority Prior to Effective 
Date.--For purposes of section 5 of the National Voter Registration Act 
of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20504), as amended by section 2(a), if an individual 
provided identifying information (as described in section 5(a)(2) of 
such Act) to a State motor vehicle authority prior to the effective 
date described in subsection (a), the authority shall transmit such 
information to the appropriate State election official pursuant to 
section 5(a)(1) of such Act not later than such effective date, unless 
the motor vehicle authority determines that the information is no 
longer valid with respect to the individual.