I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2275
To amend the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to ensure
the usability, accuracy, integrity, and security of United States voting
products and systems through the development of voluntary consensus
standards, the provision of technical assistance, and laboratory accredita-
tion, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 21, 2001
Mr. EHLERS (for himself and Mr. BARCIA) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Science
A BILL
To amend the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act to ensure the usability, accuracy, integrity,
and security of United States voting products and sys-
tems through the development of voluntary consensus
standards, the provision of technical assistance, and lab-
oratory accreditation, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Voting Technology
Standards Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of
the Institute;
(2) the term ‘‘Institute’’ means the National In-
stitute of Standards and Technology; and
(3) the term ‘‘standards’’ means performance
standards, best standard practices, and specifica-
tions relating to voting products and systems.
SEC. 3. INSTITUTE MISSION AND PROGRAM.
(a) MISSION TO STUDY VOTING TECHNOLOGIES.—
Section 2(c) of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(c)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (21), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the
end;
(2) by redesignating paragraph (22) as para-
graph (23); and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (21) the fol-
lowing new paragraph:
‘‘(22) study standards for voting products and
systems used in the United States, including vote
casting, voter registration, and vote counting prod-
ucts and systems; and’’.
(b) VOTING TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS
AND PRO-
GRAM.—The National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act (15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating sections 29 through 32 as
sections 30 through 33, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 28 the following
new section:
‘‘SEC. 29. VOTING TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS AND PRO-
GRAM.
‘‘(a) VOTING SYSTEMS STANDARDS.—
‘‘(1) REQUIRED STANDARDS.—Not later than 2
months after the date of the enactment of the Vot-
ing Technology Standards Act of 2001, the Director,
in cooperation with other Federal agencies, State
and local governments, professional associations of
elections officials, standards development organiza-
tions, industry and industry organizations, and oth-
ers the Director considers appropriate, shall publish
in the Federal Register a notice that—
‘‘(A) identifies the standards required to
ensure the usability, accuracy, integrity, and se-
curity of United States voting products and sys-
tems; and
‘‘(B) outlines a strategy for the develop-
ment of those standards, including an identi-
fication of the entity or entities responsible for
developing each standard.
‘‘(2) CONSENSUS STANDARDS.—
‘‘(A) 
DEVELOPMENT.—Consistent 
with
section 12(d) of the National Technology
Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15
U.S.C. 272 note), the Director shall ensure the
development and publication of voluntary con-
sensus-based standards to ensure the usability,
accuracy, integrity, and security of voting prod-
ucts and systems used in the United States.
‘‘(B) COORDINATION.—In conducting ac-
tivities under subparagraph (A), the Director
shall coordinate with other Federal agencies,
State and local governments, professional asso-
ciations of elections officials, standards develop-
ment organizations, industry and industry orga-
nizations, and others the Director considers ap-
propriate.
‘‘(3) PROVISIONAL STANDARDS.—
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—If a standard
identified under paragraph (1)(A) is not devel-
oped and published under paragraph (2) within
6 months after the date of the enactment of the
Voting Technology Standards Act of 2001, the
Director shall establish a provisional standard,
in cooperation with other Federal agencies,
State and local governments, professional asso-
ciations of elections officials, standards develop-
ment organizations, industry and industry orga-
nizations, and others the Director considers ap-
propriate, and using, to the extent practicable,
the available work product of the entity or enti-
ties responsible, under the strategy outlined
under paragraph (1)(B), for developing the
standard.
‘‘(B) PUBLICATION AND WITHDRAWAL.—A
provisional standard established under this
paragraph shall be published in the Federal
Register, shall take effect 30 days after such
publication, and shall remain in effect until the
appropriate standard is developed and published
under paragraph (2). When such a standard is
developed and published under paragraph (2),
the Director shall withdraw the provisional
standard established under subparagraph (A) of
this paragraph.
‘‘(4) WAIVER OF REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH
PROVISIONAL STANDARD.—The Director may waive,
for a duration of not longer than 3 months, the re-
quirement under paragraph (3)(A) to establish a
provisional standard if the Director determines that
a standard will be developed under paragraph (2)
within a reasonable amount of time.
‘‘(5) REVIEW
OF
STANDARDS.—The Director
shall review the standards developed under para-
graph (2) at the conclusion of every even numbered
year and, if the Director considers it necessary, shall
ensure the development of updated standards con-
sistent with section 12(d) of the National Tech-
nology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15
U.S.C. 272 note).
‘‘(b) VOTING TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.—
‘‘(1) RESEARCH.—The Director shall establish
a program for research in areas that support the de-
velopment of standards for voting products and sys-
tems under subsection (a). Such program shall
address—
‘‘(A) the security of computers and net-
works used in voting products and systems;
‘‘(B) methods of ensuring the performance
of computer software and other aspects of vot-
ing products and systems;
‘‘(C) human factors, including the inter-
action between people and devices or computers,
usability engineering, and access for the dis-
abled;