II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1556 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 3, 2009 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. KERRY, Mr. DODD, Mr. LEAHY, and Ms. 

MIKULSKI) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veteran Voting Sup5 port Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) Veterans have performed a great service to, 

2 and risked the greatest sacrifice in the name of, our 

3 country, and should be supported by the people and 

4 the Government of the United States. 

5 (2) Veterans are especially qualified to under6 stand issues of war, foreign policy, and government 

7 support for veterans, and they should have the op8 portunity to voice that understanding through vot9 ing. 

10 (3) The Department of Veterans Affairs should 

11 assist veterans to register to vote and to vote. 

12 SEC. 3. VOTER REGISTRATION AND ASSISTANCE. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

14 (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall pro15 vide a mail voter registration application form to each vet16 eran— 

17 (1) who seeks to enroll in the Department of 

18 Veterans Affairs health care system (including en19 rollment in a medical center, a community living 

20 center, a community-based outpatient center, or a 

21 domiciliary of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

22 health care system), at the time of such enrollment; 

23 and 

24 (2) who is enrolled in such health care sys25 tem— 


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1 (A) at any time when there is a change in 

2 the enrollment status of the veteran; and 

3 (B) at any time when there is a change in 

4 the address of the veteran. 

5 (b) PROVIDING VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION

6 AND ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall provide to each 

7 veteran described in subsection (a) the same degree of in8 formation and assistance with voter registration as is pro9 vided by the Veterans Administration with regard to the 

10 completion of its own forms, unless the applicant refuses 

11 such assistance. 

12 (c) TRANSMITTAL OF VOTER REGISTRATION APPLI13 CATION FORMS.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 

15 completed voter registration application forms for 

16 transmittal to the appropriate State election official. 

17 (2) TRANSMITTAL DEADLINE.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara19 graph (B), a completed voter registration appli20 cation form accepted at a medical center, com21 munity living center, community-based out22 patient center, or domiciliary of the Depart23 ment of Veterans Affairs shall be transmitted 

24 to the appropriate State election official not 

25 later than 10 days after the date of acceptance. 


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1 (B) EXCEPTION.—If a completed voter 

2 registration application form is accepted within 

3 5 days before the last day for registration to 

4 vote in an election, the application shall be 

5 transmitted to the appropriate State election of6 ficial not later than 5 days after the date of ac7 ceptance. 

8 (d) REQUIREMENTS OF VOTER REGISTRATION IN9 FORMATION AND ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall en10 sure that the information and assistance with voter reg11 istration that is provided under subsection (b) will not— 

12 (1) seek to influence an applicant’s political 

13 preference or party registration; 

14 (2) display any such political preference or 

15 party allegiance; 

16 (3) make any statement to an applicant or take 

17 any action the purpose or effect of which is to dis18 courage the applicant from registering to vote; or 

19 (4) make any statement to an applicant or take 

20 any action the purpose or effect of which is to lead 

21 the applicant to believe that a decision to register or 

22 not register has any bearing on the availability of 

23 services or benefits. 

24 (e) LIMITATION ON USE OF INFORMATION.—No in25 formation relating to registering to vote, or a declination 


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1 to register to vote, under this section may be used for any 

2 purpose other than voter registration. 

3 (f) ENFORCEMENT.— 

4 (1) NOTICE.— 

5 (A) NOTICE TO THE FACILITY DIRECTOR

6 OR THE SECRETARY.—A person who is ag7 grieved by a violation of this section or section 

8 4 may provide written notice of the violation to 

9 the Director of the facility of the Department 

10 of Veterans Affairs health care system involved 

11 or to the Secretary. The Director or the Sec12 retary shall respond to a written notice provided 

13 under the preceding sentence within 20 days of 

14 receipt of such written notice. 

15 (B) NOTICE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

16 AND THE ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMIS17 SION.—If the violation is not corrected within 

18 90 days after receipt of a notice under subpara19 graph (A), the aggrieved person may provide 

20 written notice of the violation to the Attorney 

21 General and the Election Assistance Commis22 sion. 

23 (2) ATTORNEY GENERAL.—The Attorney Gen24 eral may bring a civil action in an appropriate disVerDate Nov 24 2008 22:48 Aug 04, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1556.IS S1556

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1 trict court for such declaratory or injunctive relief as 

2 is necessary to carry out this section or section 4. 

3 SEC. 4. ASSISTANCE WITH ABSENTEE BALLOTS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Consistent with State and local 

5 laws, each director of a community living center, a domi6 ciliary, or a medical center of the Department of Veterans 

7 Affairs health care system shall provide assistance in vot8 ing by absentee ballot to veterans residing in the commu9 nity living center or domiciliary or who are inpatients of 

10 the medical center, as the case may be. 

11 (b) ASSISTANCE PROVIDED.—The assistance pro12 vided under subsection (a) shall include— 

13 (1) providing information relating to the oppor14 tunity to request an absentee ballot; 

15 (2) making available absentee ballot applica16 tions upon request, as well as assisting in completing 

17 such applications and ballots; and 

18 (3) working with local election administration 

19 officials to ensure proper transmission of absentee 

20 ballot applications and absentee ballots. 

21 SEC. 5. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY NONPARTISAN ORGA22 NIZATIONS. 

23 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall permit non24 partisan organizations to provide voter registration infor25 mation and assistance at facilities of the Department of 


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1 Veterans Affairs health care system, subject to reasonable 

2 time, place, and manner restrictions, including limiting ac3 tivities to regular business hours and requiring advance 

4 notice. 

5 SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY ELECTION OFFICIALS 

6 AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FA7 CILITIES. 

8 (a) DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to reasonable time, 

10 place, and manner restrictions, the Secretary of Vet11 erans Affairs shall not prohibit any election adminis12 tration official, whether State or local, party-affili13 ated or non-party affiliated, or elected or appointed, 

14 from providing voting information to veterans at any 

15 facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

16 (2) VOTING INFORMATION.—In this subsection, 

17 the term ‘‘voting information’’ means nonpartisan 

18 information intended for the public about voting, in19 cluding information about voter registration, voting 

20 systems, absentee balloting, polling locations, and 

21 other important resources for voters. 

22 (b) VOTER REGISTRATION SERVICES.—The Sec23 retary of Veterans Affairs shall provide reasonable access 

24 to facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs health 

25 care system to State and local election officials for the 


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1 purpose of providing nonpartisan voter registration serv2 ices to individuals, subject to reasonable time, place, and 

3 manner restrictions, including limiting activities to regular 

4 business hours and requiring advance notice. 

5 SEC. 7. ANNUAL REPORT ON COMPLIANCE. 

6 The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (in this section re7 ferred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall submit to Congress an 

8 annual report on how the Secretary has complied with the 

9 requirements of this Act. Such report shall include the fol10 lowing information with respect to the preceding year: 

11 (1) The number of veterans who were served by 

12 facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

13 health care system. 

14 (2) The number of such veterans who requested 

15 information on or assistance with voter registration. 

16 (3) The number of such veterans who received 

17 information on or assistance with voter registration. 

18 (4) Information with respect to written notices 

19 submitted under section 3(f), including information 

20 with respect to the resolution of the violations al21 leged in such written notices. 

22 SEC. 8. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 

23 (a) NO INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT.—Nothing in this Act 

24 may be construed to convey a benefit to an individual vet25 eran. 


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1 (b) NO EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—Nothing in this 

2 Act may be construed to authorize or require conduct pro3 hibited under any of the following laws, or to supersede, 

4 restrict, or limit the application of such laws: 

5 (1) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 

6 1973 et seq.). 

7 (2) The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and 

8 Handicapped Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ee et seq.). 

9 (3) The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Ab10 sentee Voting Act (42 U.S.C. 1973ff et seq.). 

11 (4) The National Voter Registration Act of 

12 1993 (42 U.S.C. 1973gg et seq.). 

13 (5) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 

14 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.). 

15 (6) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 

16 701 et seq.). 

Æ 


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