I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3978 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the dissemination of 

false information for the purpose of discouraging a student of an institution of higher education from registering to vote or voting in an election 

for Federal office, to require States which require individuals to present 

a photo identification as a condition of voting in elections for Federal 

office to accept a photo identification presented by a student which 

is issued by the school the student attends, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2012 

Mr. CLEAVER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the dissemination of false information for the purpose of discouraging a student of an institution of higher education 

from registering to vote or voting in an election for 

Federal office, to require States which require individuals 

to present a photo identification as a condition of voting 

in elections for Federal office to accept a photo identification presented by a student which is issued by the 

school the student attends, and for other purposes. 


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•HR 3978 IH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Equal Access to Sup5 port Youth Voting Act’’ or the ‘‘EASY Voting Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING DISSEMINATION OF FALSE INFORMA7 TION REGARDING STUDENT VOTING IN FED8 ERAL ELECTIONS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 29 of title 18, United 

10 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol11 lowing new section: 

12 ‘‘§ 612. Dissemination of false information regarding 

13 student voting in Federal elections 

14 ‘‘(a) Whoever knowingly disseminates false informa15 tion for the purpose of discouraging a student of an insti16 tution of higher education from registering to vote or vot17 ing in an election for Federal office, or from registering 

18 to vote or voting in an election for Federal office in a spe19 cific jurisdiction, shall be fined under this title or impris20 oned not more than 1 year, or both. 

21 ‘‘(b) In this section— 

22 ‘‘(1) the terms ‘election’ and ‘Federal office’ 

23 have the meaning given such terms in section 301 

24 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 

25 U.S.C. 431); and 


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1 ‘‘(2) the term ‘institution of higher education’ 

2 has the meaning given such term in section 101 of 

3 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

4 1001), except that such term includes a proprietary 

5 institution of higher education described in section 

6 102(b) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1002(b)).’’. 

7 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

8 for chapter 29 of such title is amended by adding at the 

9 end the following new item: 

‘‘612. Dissemination of false information regarding student voting in Federal 

elections.’’. 

10 SEC. 3. REQUIRING STATES TO ACCEPT STUDENT IDENTI11 FICATIONS FOR PURPOSES OF MEETING 

12 VOTER IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. 

13 (a) ACCEPTANCE OF STUDENT IDENTIFICATIONS.— 

14 Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 

15 15481 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 

16 the following new section: 

17 ‘‘SEC. 303A. REQUIRING ACCEPTANCE OF STUDENT PHOTO 

18 IDENTIFICATION AS CURRENT AND VALID 

19 PHOTO IDENTIFICATION. 

20 ‘‘(a) ACCEPTANCE OF STUDENT IDENTIFICATIONS.— 

21 A State or local election official shall accept a current and 

22 valid student photo identification issued by an institution 

23 of higher education to a student attending such institution 

24 of higher education as a current and valid photo identificaVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:08 Feb 10, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3978.IH H3978

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1 tion for purposes of section 303(b)(2) or of any State or 

2 local law which requires an individual to produce a current 

3 and valid photo identification to obtain a ballot or vote 

4 in an election for Federal office. 

5 ‘‘(b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘institu6 tion of higher education’ has the meaning given such term 

7 in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

8 U.S.C. 1001), except that such term includes a propri9 etary institution of higher education described in section 

10 102(b) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1002(b)).’’. 

11 (b) ENFORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (42 

12 U.S.C. 15511) is amended by striking ‘‘and 303’’ and in13 serting ‘‘303, and 303A’’. 

14 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

15 of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating 

16 to section 303 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 303A. Requiring acceptance of student photo identification as current 

and valid photo identification.’’. 

17 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

18 this section shall apply with respect to elections occurring 

19 on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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