I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1059 

To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit an individual 

who is subject to a requirement to present identification as a condition 

of voting in an election for Federal office to meet such requirement 

by presenting a sworn written statement attesting to the individual’s 

identification, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2021 

Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. 

RUSH, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. HASTINGS, 

Mr. SARBANES, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. KILMER, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Ms. SEWELL, Ms. NORTON, Mr. COOPER, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. MOORE

of Wisconsin, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. JONES, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BRENDAN F. 

BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. 

SPEIER, Ms. TITUS, Mr. WELCH, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. CARSON, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. POCAN, Mr. SOTO, 

Mr. HIMES, Ms. STRICKLAND, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. SWALWELL, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. OMAR, and Mr. ALLRED) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

House Administration 

A BILL 

To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to permit 

an individual who is subject to a requirement to present 

identification as a condition of voting in an election 

for Federal office to meet such requirement by presenting a sworn written statement attesting to the individual’s identification, and for other purposes. 

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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 ‘‘America Votes Act of 

5 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PERMITTING USE OF SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT 

7 TO MEET IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 

8 FOR VOTING. 

9 (a) PERMITTING USE OF STATEMENT.—Title III of 

10 the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et 

11 seq.) is amended by inserting after section 303 the fol12 lowing new section: 

13 ‘‘SEC. 303A. PERMITTING USE OF SWORN WRITTEN STATE14 MENT TO MEET IDENTIFICATION REQUIRE15 MENTS. 

16 ‘‘(a) USE OF STATEMENT.— 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub18 section (c), if a State has in effect a requirement 

19 that an individual present identification as a condi20 tion of receiving and casting a ballot in an election 

21 for Federal office, the State shall permit the indi22 vidual to meet the requirement— 

23 ‘‘(A) in the case of an individual who de24 sires to vote in person, by presenting the appro25 priate State or local election official with a 

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1 sworn written statement, signed by the indi2 vidual under penalty of perjury, attesting to the 

3 individual’s identification and attesting that the 

4 individual is registered to vote in the election; 

5 or 

6 ‘‘(B) in the case of an individual who de7 sires to vote by mail, by submitting with the 

8 ballot the statement described in subparagraph 

9 (A). 

10 ‘‘(2) PROVIDING PRE-PRINTED COPY OF STATE11 MENT.—A State which is subject to paragraph (1) 

12 shall— 

13 ‘‘(A) prepare a pre-printed version of the 

14 statement described in paragraph (1)(A) which 

15 includes a blank space for an individual to pro16 vide a name and signature; 

17 ‘‘(B) make copies of the pre-printed 

18 version available at polling places for election 

19 officials to distribute to individuals who desire 

20 to vote in person; and 

21 ‘‘(C) include a copy of the pre-printed 

22 version with each blank absentee or other ballot 

23 transmitted to an individual who desires to vote 

24 by mail. 

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1 ‘‘(b) REQUIRING USE OF REGULAR BALLOT.—A 

2 State may not require an individual who presents or sub3 mits a sworn written statement in accordance with sub4 section (a)(1) to cast a provisional ballot in the election 

5 under section 302. 

6 ‘‘(c) EXCEPTION FOR FIRST-TIME VOTERS REG7 ISTERING BY MAIL.—Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply 

8 with respect to any individual described in paragraph (1) 

9 of section 303(b) who is required to meet the requirements 

10 of paragraph (2) of such section.’’. 

11 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN12 FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) 

13 is amended by striking ‘‘and 303’’ and inserting ‘‘303, and 

14 303A’’. 

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

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

17 to section 303 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 303A. Permitting use of sworn written statement to meet identification 

requirements.’’. 

18 SEC. 3. REQUIRING STATES TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON 

19 USE OF SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT IN 

20 VOTING INFORMATION MATERIAL POSTED AT 

21 POLLING PLACES. 

22 Section 302(b)(2) of the Help America Vote Act of 

23 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21082(b)(2)) is amended— 

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1 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara2 graph (E); 

3 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub4 paragraph (F) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

5 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub6 paragraph: 

7 ‘‘(G) in the case of a State that has in ef8 fect a requirement that an individual present 

9 identification as a condition of receiving and 

10 casting a ballot in an election for Federal office, 

11 information on how an individual may meet 

12 such requirement by presenting a sworn written 

13 statement in accordance with section 303A.’’. 

14 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

15 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

16 respect to elections occurring on or after the date of the 

17 enactment of this Act. 

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