I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8607 

To protect and promote the ability of members of the Armed Forces and 

citizens to vote by mail, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2020 

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (for himself and Mr. COURTNEY) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, and 

Armed Services, 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 protect and promote the ability of members of the Armed 

Forces and citizens to vote by mail, 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 ‘‘U.S. Postal Service 

5 Accountability and Voting Rights Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. POSTAL SERVICE OPERATION AND LEVEL OF SERV2 ICE CHANGES TEMPORARILY PROHIBITED. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—During the period beginning on 

4 the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on Janu5 ary 31, 2021, the United States Postal Service may not 

6 implement or approve any change to the operations or the 

7 level of service provided by the Postal Service from those 

8 in effect on January 1, 2020, that would reduce service 

9 performance or impede prompt, reliable, and efficient serv10 ices, including any of the following actions: 

11 (1) Any change in the nature of postal services 

12 which will generally affect service on a nationwide or 

13 substantially nationwide basis. 

14 (2) Any revision of service standards. 

15 (3) Any closure or consolidation of any post of16 fice or postal facility, or any reduction of such office 

17 or facility hours. 

18 (4) Any prohibition or restriction on the use of 

19 overtime or overtime pay to Postal Service officers 

20 or employees. 

21 (5) Any change that would prevent the Postal 

22 Service from meeting its service standards or cause 

23 a decline in measurements of performance relative to 

24 those service standards. 

25 (6) Any change that would have the effect of 

26 delaying deferring, or curtailing mail, allowing for 


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1 the non-delivery of mail to a delivery route, or in2 creasing the volume of undelivered mail. 

3 (7) Treating election mail as any class of mail 

4 other than first-class mail, regardless of whether 

5 such treatment requires payment of overtime pay to 

6 officers or employees of the Postal Service. 

7 (8) Removing, decommissioning, or any other 

8 stoppage of mail sorting machines, other than for 

9 routine maintenance. 

10 (9) Removing or eliminating any mail collection 

11 box that is available to the public. 

12 (10) Enacting any rule, policy, or standard the 

13 purpose or effect of which would delay the delivery 

14 of mail to or from a government entity. 

15 (11) Instituting any hiring freeze. 

16 (b) REVERSAL OF POLICIES HINDERING DELIVERY

17 OF MAIL.—Not later than 30 days after the date of the 

18 enactment of this Act, the Postal Service shall reverse any 

19 initiative or action that was implemented during the pe20 riod beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on the 

21 date of the enactment of this Act and is causing delay 

22 in processing or delivery or non-delivery of the mail. 

23 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

24 (1) ELECTION MAIL.—The term ‘‘election mail’’ 

25 means mail consisting of— 


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1 (A) voter registration application forms, 

2 completed voter registration application forms, 

3 and voter registration cards or similar mate4 rials; 

5 (B) absentee and other mail-in ballot appli6 cation forms, blank absentee and other mail-in 

7 ballots, and completed absentee and other mail8 in ballots; and 

9 (C) other materials relating to an election 

10 which are mailed by a State or local election of11 ficial to individuals who are registered to vote 

12 in the election. 

13 (2) GOVERNMENT ENTITY.—The term ‘‘govern14 ment entity’’ means the Federal Government or any 

15 State (as that term is defined in section 311 of title 

16 5, United States Code) or local government and any 

17 subdivision thereof. 

18 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated to the Postal Service Fund 

20 (established under section 2003 of title 39, United States 

21 Code) $1,000,000,000 for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to 

22 carry out this section. 


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1 SEC. 3. PROHIBITING CERTAIN OPERATIONAL AND LEVEL 

2 OF SERVICE CHANGES. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—During any calendar year begin4 ning after the date of the enactment of this Act in which 

5 a Federal election is held, the Postal Service may not im6 plement or approve any change to the operations or the 

7 level of service provided by the Postal Service from those 

8 in effect on January 1 of the calendar year, that would 

9 reduce service performance or impede prompt, reliable, 

10 and efficient services, including the actions described in 

11 paragraphs (1) through (11) of section 2(a). 

12 (b) SERVICE TO MILITARY AND FAMILIES OF MILI13 TARY.—The Postal Service may not implement or approve 

14 any change that reduces the level of service with respect 

15 to absent uniformed service voters or overseas voters below 

16 the level of service in effect on January 1, 2020. 

17 SEC. 4. TRACKING PROGRAM FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS AND 

18 VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORMS; 

19 AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSEN20 TEE BALLOT FOR ALL VOTERS. 

21 (a) REQUIREMENTS.—Title III of the Help America 

22 Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 21081 et seq.) is amended— 

23 (1) by redesignating section 304 as section 305; 

24 and 

25 (2) by inserting after section 303 the following 

26 new sections: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 304. ABSENTEE BALLOT AND VOTER REGISTRATION 

2 APPLICATION FORM TRACKING PROGRAM. 

3 ‘‘(a) ABSENTEE BALLOT TRACKING.— 

4 ‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—Each State shall carry 

5 out a program to track and confirm the receipt of 

6 absentee ballots in an election for Federal office 

7 under which the State or local election official re8 sponsible for the receipt of voted absentee ballots in 

9 the election carries out procedures to track and con10 firm the receipt of such ballots, and makes informa11 tion on the receipt of such ballots available to the in12 dividual who cast the ballot by means of online ac13 cess using the Internet site of the official’s office. 

14 ‘‘(2) INFORMATION ON WHETHER VOTE WAS

15 COUNTED.—The information referred to under para16 graph (1) with respect to the receipt of an absentee 

17 ballot shall include information regarding whether 

18 the vote cast on the ballot was counted, and, in the 

19 case of a vote which was not counted, the reasons 

20 therefor. 

21 ‘‘(b) VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM

22 TRACKING.— 

23 ‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—Each State shall carry 

24 out a program to track and confirm the receipt of 

25 voter registration application forms in an election for 

26 Federal office under which the State or local election 


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1 official responsible for processing such forms carries 

2 out procedures to track and confirm the receipt of 

3 such forms, and makes information on the receipt of 

4 such forms available to the individual applicant by 

5 means of online access using the Internet site of the 

6 official’s office. 

7 ‘‘(2) INFORMATION ON WHETHER FORM WAS

8 ACCEPTED.—The information referred to under 

9 paragraph (1) with respect to the receipt of a voter 

10 registration application form shall include informa11 tion regarding whether the form was accepted and 

12 the applicant is registered to vote in the election for 

13 Federal office, and, in the case of a form which was 

14 not accepted, the reasons therefor. 

15 ‘‘(c) USE OF TOLL-FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER BY

16 OFFICIALS WITHOUT INTERNET SITE.—A program estab17 lished by a State or local election official whose office does 

18 not have an Internet site may meet the requirements of 

19 subsections (a) and (b) if the official has established a toll20 free telephone number that may be used— 

21 ‘‘(1) by an individual who cast an absentee bal22 lot to obtain the information on the receipt of the 

23 voted absentee ballot as provided under subsection 

24 (a); and 


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1 ‘‘(2) by an individual applicant for voter reg2 istration to obtain the information on the receipt of 

3 the voter registration application form as provided 

4 under subsection (b). 

5 ‘‘(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply 

6 with respect to the regularly scheduled general election for 

7 Federal office held in November 2022 and each succeeding 

8 election for Federal office. 

9 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

10 is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 for each 

11 of fiscal years 2021 through 2023 to carry out this sec12 tion.’’. 

13 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO EN14 FORCEMENT.—Section 401 of such Act (52 U.S.C. 21111) 

15 is amended by striking ‘‘sections 301, 302, and 303’’ and 

16 inserting ‘‘subtitle A of title III’’. 

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

18 of such Act is amended— 

19 (1) by redesignating the item relating to sec20 tions 304 as relating to section 305; and 

21 (2) by inserting after the item relating to sec22 tion 303 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 304. Absentee ballot and voter registration application form tracking program.’’. 


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1 SEC. 5. PROMOTING USE OF FEDERAL WRITE-IN ABSENTEE 

2 BALLOT UNDER UNIFORMED AND OVERSEAS 

3 CITIZENS ABSENTEE VOTING ACT. 

4 (a) ELIMINATING EXEMPTIONS FOR STATES USING

5 ALTERNATIVE BALLOTS AND STATES MAKING BALLOTS

6 AVAILABLE 90 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION.—Section 103 

7 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 

8 Act (52 U.S.C. 20303) is amended— 

9 (1) by striking subsections (e) and (g); and 

10 (2) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub11 section (e). 

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

13 this section shall apply with respect to the regularly sched14 uled general election for Federal office held in November 

15 2020 and each succeeding election for Federal office. 

16 SEC. 6. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

17 (a) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after 

18 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Postmaster Gen19 eral shall submit to Congress a report on any change to 

20 the operations or the level of service provided by the Postal 

21 Service from those in effect on January 1, 2020, that— 

22 (1) reduced service performance or impeded 

23 prompt, reliable, and efficient services, including any 

24 actions described in paragraphs (1) through (11) of 

25 section 2(a); and 


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1 (2) was implemented or approved during the 

2 period beginning on June 15, 2020, and ending on 

3 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

4 (b) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Not later than January 1 

5 of any odd-numbered calendar year beginning after the 

6 date of the enactment of this Act, the Postmaster General 

7 shall submit to Congress a report on any changes de8 scribed in section 2(a) that were implemented or approved 

9 during the previous calendar year. 

10 (c) MILITARY AND OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING.— 

11 Not later 30 days after the date of the enactment of this 

12 Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense, 

13 acting through the Presidential designee under the Uni14 formed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, shall 

15 submit to Congress a report on how changes to the oper16 ations or level of service provided by the Postal Service 

17 affect absentee voting by absent uniformed service voters 

18 and overseas voters under such Act. 

19 (d) IMPLEMENTATION OF MILITARY AND OVERSEAS

20 VOTER EMPOWERMENT ACT.—Not later than 30 days 

21 after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually 

22 thereafter, the Inspector General of the Department of 

23 Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the effective24 ness of the implementation of the Military and Overseas 

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1 tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010; 

2 Public Law 111–84) and the amendments made by such 

3 Act, including the effectiveness of such Act and such 

4 amendments in promoting registration and voting by ab5 sent uniformed service voters and overseas voters and in 

6 increasing the availability and effectiveness of voter reg7 istration and voting assistance services for such voters, 

8 and shall include in the report such recommendations as 

9 the Inspector General considers appropriate for improving 

10 the availability and effectiveness of such services for such 

11 voters. 

12 SEC. 7. CYBERSPACE INFORMATION THREAT TRAINING. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—In addition to any currently man14 dated training, the Secretary of Defense shall annually 

15 furnish to all members of the Armed Forces and all civil16 ian employees of the Department of Defense training re17 garding cyberspace information threats. 

18 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

19 (1) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered en20 tity’’ means— 

21 (A) a government of a foreign country or 

22 an agency or instrumentality of a foreign coun23 try; 

24 (B) a foreign person that is aided, abetted, 

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1 try or an agency or instrumentality of a foreign 

2 country; 

3 (C) a terrorist organization; or 

4 (D) any other foreign adversary of the 

5 United States. 

6 (2) CYBERSPACE INFORMATION THREAT.—The 

7 term ‘‘cyberspace information threat’’ means any 

8 true, false, or misleading information from a covered 

9 entity that is— 

10 (A) communicated through cyberspace; and 

11 (B) misleading or influential in a manner 

12 that constitutes a threat to national security or 

13 to the democratic processes of the United 

14 States, or that operates to the advantage of a 

15 covered entity. 

16 SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act: 

18 (1) ABSENT UNIFORMED SERVICE VOTER; 

19 OVERSEAS VOTER.—The terms ‘‘absent uniformed 

20 service voter’’ and ‘‘overseas voter’’ have the mean21 ings given such terms in section 107 of the Uni22 formed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act 

23 (52 U.S.C. 20310). 


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1 (2) FEDERAL ELECTIONS.—The term ‘‘Federal 

2 election’’ means a regularly scheduled general elec3 tion for Federal office. 

4 (3) POSTAL SERVICE.—The term ‘‘Postal Serv5 ice’’ has the meaning given such term in section 102 

6 of title 39, United States Code. 

Æ 


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