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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3712 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3712

 To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to treat United 
  States Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices as voter 
             registration agencies, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 31, 2024

   Mr. Padilla (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Butler, Mr. Welch, Mr. 
 Whitehouse, Ms. Warren, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
Sanders, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Lujan, 
  Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Booker) introduced the following bill; which was 
       read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to treat United 
  States Citizenship and Immigration Services field offices as voter 
             registration agencies, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is 
        responsible for overseeing the naturalization of new citizens 
        through--
                    (A) administering naturalization ceremonies; and
                    (B) processing the naturalization of new citizens 
                naturalized through judicial ceremonies or other means.
            (2) In performing the responsibilities described in 
        paragraph (1), United States Citizenship and Immigration 
        Services has the ability to facilitate efficient voter 
        registration application for all new citizens.
            (3) Courts that have the privilege of administering the 
        oath of allegiance to naturalize new citizens also have a 
        responsibility to assist in facilitating voter registration.

SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES 
              FIELD OFFICES AS VOTER REGISTRATION AGENCIES.

    (a) In General.--Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act 
of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20506) is amended by redesignating subsection (d) as 
subsection (e) and by inserting after subsection (c) the following new 
subsection:
    ``(d) Voter Registration Activities of the U.S. Citizenship and 
Immigration Services.--
            ``(1) Field offices.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A field office of U.S. 
                Citizenship and Immigration Services shall be 
                considered to be a voter registration agency designated 
                under subsection (a)(2) for all purposes of this Act.
                    ``(B) Procedures.--Each State and the Secretary of 
                Homeland Security shall jointly develop and implement 
                procedures for persons who have completed 
                naturalization to apply to register to vote through 
                field offices of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
                Services.
            ``(2) Court naturalization ceremonies.--The Director of 
        U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall conduct 
        activities described in subsection (a)(4)(A) at any oath 
        administration proceeding conducted by an eligible court (as 
        defined in section 310(b) of the Immigration and Nationality 
        Act (8 U.S.C. 1421(b))).''.
    (b) Funding.--
            (1) Use of immigration examinations fee account.--Section 
        286(n) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
        1356(n)) is amended by striking ``and naturalization services'' 
        and inserting ``, naturalization services, and voter 
        registration services pursuant to section 7(d) of the National 
        Voter Registration Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20506(d))''.
            (2) Use of grant program funds.--Section 404 of division F 
        of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (8 U.S.C. 1382) is 
        amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Any amounts which--
            ``(1) are in the Citizenship Gift and Bequest Account 
        established under subsection (c); or
            ``(2) are appropriated for the Citizenship and Integration 
        Grant Program,
may be used to pay for expenses for voter registration services 
provided pursuant to section 7(d) of the National Voter Registration 
Act of 1993 (52 U.S.C. 20506(d)).''.
            (3) Authorization of additional appropriations.--In 
        addition to any other amounts, there are authorized to be 
        appropriated to United States Citizenship and Immigration 
        Services such sums as necessary to carry out activities 
        required by the amendments made by subsection (a).

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF VOTER REGISTRATION ACTIVITIES AT COURT 
              NATURALIZATION CEREMONIES.

    Any eligible court described in paragraph (5) of section 310(b) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1421(b)) that administers 
the oath of allegiance under that section--
            (1) shall permit the Director of U.S. Citizenship and 
        Immigration Services to conduct authorized activities described 
        in section 7(a)(4)(A) of the National Voter Registration Act of 
        1993 (52 U.S.C. 20506(a)(4)(A)) at any oath administration 
        proceeding conducted by such eligible court; and
            (2) shall not seek reimbursement from U.S. Citizenship and 
        Immigration Services or any other person for costs incurred 
        under this paragraph.
                                 <all>
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