I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4126 

To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require each 

voter registration agency in a State which requires an individual to 

present a government-issued photo identification as a condition of voting 

in an election for Federal office to provide such an identification without 

charge upon request to any such individual who does not otherwise 

possess one, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 1, 2012 

Mr. COHEN (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. MOORE, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. ELLISON, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 

A BILL 

To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to 

require each voter registration agency in a State which 

requires an individual to present a government-issued 

photo identification as a condition of voting in an election 

for Federal office to provide such an identification without charge upon request to any such individual who 

does not otherwise possess one, and for other purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Voter ID Accessibility 

3 Act of 2012’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REQUIRING STATES WITH PHOTO IDENTIFICATION 

5 REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING TO PROVIDE 

6 IDENTIFICATION TO INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT 

7 IDENTIFICATION. 

8 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Section 7 of the National Voter 

9 Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg–5) is amend10 ed by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

11 ‘‘(e) PROVISION OF PHOTO IDENTIFICATION BY

12 STATES REQUIRING PHOTO IDENTIFICATION AS CONDI13 TION OF VOTING.—If a State has in effect a requirement 

14 that an individual present a government-issued photo 

15 identification as a condition of voting in an election for 

16 Federal office held in the State (or, in the case of an indi17 vidual who wishes to vote by mail in such an election, a 

18 copy of a government-issued photo identification)— 

19 ‘‘(1) in the case of an individual who is an ap20 plicant to register to vote in the State, each voter 

21 registration agency in the State shall, at the time 

22 the agency provides the individual with a voter reg23 istration application form, notify the individual of 

24 such requirement and provide the individual with 

25 such an identification without charge upon request; 


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1 ‘‘(2) in the case of an individual who is reg2 istered to vote in the State but does not otherwise 

3 possess such an identification, the State shall, at 

4 such time and in accordance with such procedures as 

5 the State may require, notify the individual of such 

6 requirement and provide the individual with such an 

7 identification without charge upon request, so long 

8 as the State provides the individual with reasonable 

9 opportunities to obtain the identification prior to the 

10 date of the election; and 

11 ‘‘(3) in the case of an individual who requests 

12 that a voter registration agency provide the indi13 vidual with such an identification under paragraph 

14 (1) or paragraph (2), the State shall provide the in15 dividual with such assistance without charge upon 

16 request as may be necessary to enable the individual 

17 to obtain and process any documentation necessary 

18 to obtain the identification.’’. 

19 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

20 this Act shall apply with respect to elections held on or 

21 after the 90-day period which begins on the date of the 

22 enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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